‘Monster of Avignon’ Dominique Pelicot who let men rape wife facing 20 years in jail

Dominique Pelicot, 71, from France, allowed 50 men to rape his woman Gisele Pelicot implicit the people of a decade. But a tribunal has revealed that helium could person 'too little' clip down bars

A hubby who was dubbed the "Monster of Avignon" aft helium drugged his woman truthful dozens of men could rape her - could walk 20 years down bars.

Dominique Pelicot, 71, is lasting proceedings alongside 50 different men pursuing the wide rape against his ex-wife Gisele Pelicot, 72. The Frenchman confessed to aggravated rape aft helium contacted the men online and invited them backmost to their household home. 

Attorney wide Laure Chabaud revealed that 2 decades is the maximum helium tin walk successful prison, according to the law. She described the condemnation arsenic "too little" for the henious crimes he carried out. 

Speaking astatine the Vaucluse Criminal Court, successful Avignon, she said: "The maximum condemnation is 20 years of criminal imprisonment, which is some a batch and excessively small successful presumption of the seriousness of the repeated attacks."

Ms Chabaud said Ms Pelicot, a parent of three, had been reduced to an "object" by men who conscionable "used her for casual sex" implicit astir a decade. "Gisèle Pelicot's state, adjacent to a coma, should person raised the alarm," said Ms Chabaud. "Rape is characterised by a deficiency of consent," she added. "What pleasance tin she sincerely get from it, without counting the broadside effects the adjacent day," said Ms Chabaud. 

Jean-François Mayet, the 2nd lawyer wide astatine the case, said everything astir the lawsuit was "out of the ordinary". Mr Mayet said: "These are the archetypal words that came to caput erstwhile we were entrusted with the task of bringing the charges successful this case. This proceedings gave emergence to 59 volumes of judicial information, containing thousands of reports. Our justice strategy is regularly criticised for being excessively dilatory – fto america convey it for having managed to reason this bonzer process successful 31 months. 

"The effect of their enactment resulted successful Dominique Pelicot being placed successful police custody connected November 2, 2020" and helium has been successful situation connected remand ever since. Mr Mayet said "20,000 photos and videos" were recovered connected Mr Pelicot’s devices, each of them showing the subdued Ms Pelicot, often being subjected to horrific acts. Turning to Ms Pelicot, who was successful tribunal wearing a purple blouse, the authoritative said: "I salute your courageousness and the dignity with which you expressed yourself during these agelong weeks of the hearing."

Last week, some the Pelicots gave last statements successful court. After his ain lad had called him "the devil incarnate," Mr Pélicot made a idiosyncratic plea to his family, saying: "I thought they would beryllium devastated, but not to this extent. I measured the harm caused by my annihilation, and I bitterly regret it, but I privation to emphasise that I person ne'er touched my children oregon my grandchildren."

In turn, Ms Pélicot denounced the "cowards" who raped her and blasted "a macho, patriarchal nine wherever rape is trivialised." Ms Pélicot was supported successful court by her youngest son, Florian Pélicot, 38, who connected Monday told his father: ‘I americium precise grateful to person our parent alive, but I person a batch of incomprehension astir what our begetter did.’

Mr Pélicot added: "You ever said that our parent was a saint. But you, you were the devil incarnate." All of the couple’s 3 big children person testified against Dominique Pélicot, who is appearing successful court successful a glass-fronted dock. The retired electrician and property cause crushed sleeping pills into his wife’s nutrient and drink, past invited the strangers to rape her betwixt 2011 and 2020.

He kept hundreds of videos of rape connected his machine successful a record entitled "Abuse", and has admitted the charge against him, telling the court: "I americium a rapist." Some of his co-accused admit rape, portion others accidental they did not cognize Gisèle Pelicot was drugged, contempt videos showing her snoring loudly. Ms Pélicot, a erstwhile logistics manager, has go feminist icon aft saying the proceedings has raised consciousness of the usage of drugs to rape women. 

Ms Pélicot said she had suffered "acts of barbarity" and would not "feel astatine bid until the extremity of my life." She added: "I’ll larn to unrecorded with it. I’ll rebuild myself. But there’ll everlastingly beryllium 51 radical who person defiled me." Fourteen different men beyond her hubby person confessed to raping her, portion the others contradict the charges, arguing that they thought Ms Pélicot had consented to having enactment with them.

The proceedings continues and volition extremity connected December 20.