French prosecutors have demanded the maximum prison sentence of 20 years for Dominique Pelicot, who is accused of drugging his ex-wife and organising for more than 50 men to rape her while she lay unconscious.
Laure Chabaud told the courthouse in Avignon, southern France, on Monday that the sentence would be “long” but “not enough considering the serious nature of these acts” against Gisèle Pelicot.
“There are many examples in history of criminals capable of presenting themselves in a charming light and who at the same time are capable of the worst atrocities. Dominique Pelicot fits this bill. He was an attentive husband, father and grandfather,” Ms Chabaud said.
“He suffers from no mental illness, so he is fully responsible for the acts he committed,” the prosecutor added.
Journalists and supporters gathered in the courtroom on Monday morning for the final day of arguments.
Pelicot has been accused of organising for more than 50 men to visit his house and rape his wife, Gisèle Pelicot.
Over a period spanning nearly ten years, Dominique Pelicot used an online website and messaging platforms to seek out men. He admitted to habitually drugging his wife with a strong sedative before allowing strangers to sexually abuse her.
Pelicot kept his eyes closed and looked down at the ground during the hearing – all 50 other defendants were also present in court, with many using face masks to conceal their faces from the cameras.
The case has sparked a debate about attitudes in France towards consent. Throughout the court case that began in September, defence lawyers for Pelicot have tried to undermine Gisèle Pelicot’s claim that she was unaware of her husband’s actions.
The prosecutor highlighted the issue again in court on Monday, saying: “We can’t say in 2024 that because she [Gisèle Pelicot] didn’t say anything she consented.”
“There was nothing ambiguous about Gisèle Pelicot that could make the men think she was giving her consent,” Ms Chabaud added.
Ms Chabaud told the court on Monday that she didn’t want to return to the “question that keeps coming up, ‘how is it possible that she [Gisèle Pelicot] didn’t realise anything was going on?’”
“For years, she tried to understand what was wrong with her, she had pains in her lower abdomen, vaginal discharge, hemorrhoids and so on. No analysis was able to determine the cause,” the prosecutor added.
Beatrice Zavarro, the lawyer for Dominique Pelicot, told journalists outside court after Monday morning’s hearing that the request wasn’t a “surprise for us” and had been entirely “predictable.”
Despite this, she said it was still “difficult” to tell a 72-year-old man such as Pelicot that he may have to spend the next 20 years in prison.
The court is expected to deliver its verdicts before December 20, in what is considered to be one of the darkest criminal cases in modern French history.
Huge crowds attended a protest in Paris on Saturday calling for changes in societal attitudes towards consent. They carried placards with the slogan, “shame must switch sides” – a reference to a quote Gisèle Pelicot made during court proceedings.
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