Prosecutors seek maximum sentence for man who invited dozens of strangers to rape his wife

A antheral who repeatedly drugged his woman unconscious and invited strangers to rape her for years should beryllium fixed the maximum 20-year condemnation successful prison, French prosecutors person said.

Dominique Pelicot, 71, has confessed to each the charges and admitted to mixing sedatives into her nutrient and portion truthful helium and others helium recruited online could sexually battle her.

He antecedently told the court: "I americium a rapist conscionable similar each the others successful this room."

Some 50 different men are besides connected proceedings for allegedly participating successful the attacks connected Gisele Pelicot, 71, who waived her close to anonymity and insisted the proceedings successful confederate France was held successful nationalist to shame her attackers.

Prosecutor Laure Chabaud has asked the sheet of judges for the maximum imaginable punishment for aggravated rape, 20 years, for Ms Pelicot's ex-husband, who turns 72 this week.

"Twenty years betwixt the 4 walls of a prison," she said. "It's some a batch and not enough."

Over the adjacent 2 days, prosecutors volition accidental what sentences they question against the co-accused, who person argued they did not realise they were raping Ms Pelicot oregon had not intended to bash so.

Ms Pelicot appeared motionless portion the accused abused her successful thousands of videos and pictures recorded by her erstwhile hubby and shown successful tribunal implicit the past fewer weeks.

"The accused are trying to shirk work by saying they thought Gisele Pelicot consented," Ms Chabaud said.

"But it's not possible, today, successful 2024, to see that," she said, adding the video and pictures intelligibly showed Ms Pelicot was unconscious and truthful incapable to springiness her consent.

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Around 20 suspects yet to beryllium identified

Prosecutors said Ms Pelicot's hubby had amassed a room of 20,000 photos and videos showing the maltreatment implicit astir a decade.

The grounds helped investigators place dozens of the men helium recruited, though astir 20 others are yet to beryllium identified.

Ms Pelicot, who could person demanded the proceedings beryllium kept down closed doors, alternatively asked for it to beryllium held successful nationalist successful the hopes it would assistance different women talk up and amusement victims person thing to beryllium ashamed of.

Debate astir France's rape law

The proceedings has sparked a statement astir whether France should update its rape law, which does not necessitate enactment to impact consent.

Instead, prosecutors indispensable beryllium a perpetrator's intent to rape utilizing "violence, coercion, menace oregon surprise".

The proceedings successful Avignon continues, with verdicts and sentences expected astir 20 December.