Gisele Pelicot says she was 'raped more than 200 times' and 'could have died' during ordeal at the hands of 'monster' husband and dozens more as she condemns 'macho' French society

Gisele Pelicot gave her last connection successful tribunal this greeting arsenic a sheet of judges hole to springiness their verdict connected a proceedings that has rocked France over the past 10 weeks.

Addressing the tribunal successful Avignon, and staring astatine the men who abused her implicit a decade, the French grandma said she believed she was raped 'more than 200 times' and 'towards the extremity 2 oregon 3 times a week'.

'If this had continued, I could person died. They could person had this connected their conscience … They could've each reported this. Not 1 did,' she said successful her past accidental to respond to everything that has been said since the proceedings began.

Her 'monster' husband, Dominique Pelicot, has admitted successful tribunal to inviting dozens of strangers to his location to rape his woman Gisele aft helium drugged her, galore of whom present accidental they judge she was a consenting subordinate successful a enactment game.

Having bravely waived her anonymity, Ms Pelicot took the accidental contiguous to condemn what she called the 'macho, patriarchal nine that trivialises rape' aft proceeding 'a batch of whispered, unacceptable things' astir the trial.

'I knew what I was going to beryllium exposed to by refusing to spell to a closed hearing,' she told the tribunal successful southeastern France this morning.

'Obviously, I recognise that I americium feeling bushed today. I person been omnipresent. I find it precise hard erstwhile radical accidental that it is practically commonplace to person raped Madame Pelicot.'

The courtroom successful southeast France was filled arsenic Ms Pelicot reflected connected the interaction of a run of maltreatment spanning a decade, successful which she was raped and abused by her hubby and dozens of different men portion unconscious.

The case, which has gripped France and sparked large demonstrations nationwide, is expected to reason connected December 20. 

Wearing a long-patterned skirt, tan bolero jacket, blouse and scarf, she held her caput precocious arsenic she took the basal successful beforehand of her disgraced hubby Dominique and his 50 co-accused this morning. 

Ms Pelicot's last statements to the tribunal connected Tuesday gave the 72-year-old an accidental to respond to claims made implicit the past 10 weeks.

She told however the lawsuit had near her 'tired' aft 10 weeks of aggravated scrutiny and publicity astir the abuse.

'I knew what I was signing up for erstwhile I gave up the close to a closed trial,' Ms Pelicot said this morning. 'I admit that contiguous I tin consciousness the tiredness.' 

The lawsuit has gripped France and sparked wide protests successful Ms Pelicot's sanction successful caller weeks pursuing her determination to stock however her beingness was derailed by abuse.

'I americium 72 present and I don't cognize however overmuch clip I person left,' she said successful tribunal this morning, adding that the years she thought she was sick 'felt similar a decease sentence'.

Dominique Pelicot admitted successful 2020 to drugging his then-wife for astir a decennary and recruiting immoderate 50 men to maltreatment her successful their location portion she was unconscious.

He is besides expected to talk today, up of a verdict from a sheet of judges. 

Over much than 2 months the proceedings has been shown graphic images and footage of Madame Pelicot lying unconscious and snoring successful her furniture portion she was abused by antithetic men.

Today she asked the court: 'At what moment, erstwhile they entered this room, does Madame Pelicot springiness you consent?

'At what moment, erstwhile you spot the inert body, bash you not accidental to yourself that thing is not mean happening without this room?

'For me, it is the proceedings of cowardice.'

The Defence besides had an accidental to question Ms Pelicot, arsenic she continued to contradict she was successful immoderate mode complicit with the enactment acts. 

Lawyer Nadia El Bouroumi pressed Ms Pelicot connected her narration with her ex-husband, asking wherefore she had stopped abbreviated of utilizing 'harsh words' against her husband, arsenic she had different defendants.

Ms Pelicot was besides asked wherefore she did not be tribunal erstwhile her ex-husband was absent from court, and wherefore she brought him lukewarm apparel erstwhile helium was successful jail. 

She responded that she and her lad had brought him apparel aft helium was arrested.

Ms Pelicot aboriginal said she remains a 'positive person' and tries to retrieve the champion of her ex-husband, acknowledging his ain hard upbringing.

She said that she believes her ex-husband, who has implicated galore of the different defendants, is being 'sincere'.

'And I consciousness rage against the defendants due to the fact that nor for a 2nd did they study things to the police,' she said.

'I americium angry. Not a azygous antheral made a complaint. Not one.' 

She added: 'I judge I was raped much than 200 times. Towards the extremity I was being raped 2 oregon 3 times a week.

'I don't deliberation my assemblage could instrumentality overmuch more. I thought I had developed Alzheimer's [disease].'

Dominique Pelicot, 71, has admitted successful tribunal to inviting dozens of strangers to his location to rape his woman Gisele aft helium drugged her. 

From the stand, Ms Pelicot reflected however she had had elements of what she called a 'normal life' - portion recognising a decennary had been taken from her, riddled with anxieties astir her health.

She said she was incapable to 'see the signs' that thing was awry, waking up unaware that she had been drugged and assaulted successful the mornings after.

'We had breakfast. We went for walks,' she told the court.

Some of the defendants successful the lawsuit person claimed they believed Mr and Pelicot had arranged a 'sex game' of sorts, and that they believed she was consenting.

She reiterated connected Tuesday that she was snoring successful videos showing her abuse.

She went connected to accent that 'I don't forgive him' [Mr Pelicot].

'His actions were unforgiveable. I was betrayed and fooled,' she said.

The children of Mr and Ms Pelicot stormed retired of tribunal arsenic their parent was questioned astir images recovered connected his laptop.

The pictures picture their girl Caroline partially naked. 

Mr Pelicot claimed successful tribunal yesterday that helium was being blackmailed for the photos.

Asked astir the photos, Ms Pelicot said she didn't 'know what to accidental astir that'.

'He volition person to reply that,' she said.

When Mr Pélicot was archetypal arrested successful September 2020, his devices were searched, and determination were hundreds of pornographic videos and photos of women.

It was portion successful custody that Mr Pélicot reported a hard drive, hidden nether a printer, which contained a record called 'Abuses'.

Police uncovered sickening pictures of Caroline Darian, and Mr Pélicot's 2 daughters-in-law, successful a haul of thousands of images and videos.

In tribunal this morning, Ms Pelicot refused to reply questions astir her daughter, saying it 'isn't a household trial'. 

Oldest member David, 50, urged his begetter to archer the tribunal 'about what you did to my sister, who suffers each time and volition endure for the remainder of her life, due to the fact that I don't deliberation you'll ever archer the truth'.

And helium demanded that his begetter archer whether helium had abused his grandchildren, whom helium had allegedly asked to 'play doctor'

Pelicot replied helium had done 'nothing'.

At 1 point, Dominique Pelicot interrupted his son's testimony, saying helium wanted to apologise for what helium had done.

But David Pelicot shouted him down, crying: 'Never!'

Younger member Florian 38, added that his begetter was 'the devil himself'.

Their sister, who uses the pen sanction Caroline Darian, had already testified earlier successful the proceedings and told the tribunal again connected Monday that she believed she had besides been abused by her father.

Dominique Pelicot, rule defendant, is expected to springiness grounds aboriginal today.

The past of 50 defendants, named lone arsenic Philippe L., besides gave grounds this morning, claiming helium was told by Mr Pelicot and helium and his woman were funny successful gathering up for sex.

He allegedly told the suspect his woman would beryllium dormant arsenic portion of a enactment game, earlier telling Philippe L. to interaction her sexually. 

The maltreatment lone came to an extremity aft Mr Pélicot was arrested for taking pictures up women's skirts astatine a section supermarket successful November 2019.

Pélicot has been connected remand since 2020, erstwhile helium was archetypal arrested connected suspicion of gassing and past raping Ms Pélicot, portion inviting men helium contacted online to bash the same. 

The trial, which Caroline Darian earlier described arsenic 'France's worst enactment for 2 decades, continues.