AVIGNON, France: A court docket on Thursday (Dec 19) sentenced a French man to the utmost time period of 20 years jail for committing and orchestrating the mass rapes of his now former spouse Gisele Pelicot with dozens of strangers he recruited on-line.
Dominique Pelicot, who had already confessed to the crimes, was earlier discovered responsible by the court docket within the southern metropolis of Avignon after an over three-month trial that shocked France and turned his former spouse Gisele right into a feminist hero.
His 50 co-defendants within the case have been additionally convicted by the court docket, with no acquittals. The sentences of the opposite defendants have been being introduced in the middle of Thursday morning.
Pressure was palpable within the courtroom, the place a heavy police presence was deployed.
Many defendants arrived on the listening to with their baggage packed, prepared for jail. One among them was in tears as he hugged his companion earlier than getting into the courtroom.
“Mr Pelicot, you might be discovered responsible of the aggravated rape of Gisele Pelicot,” mentioned the presiding choose of the legal court docket in Avignon, Roger Arata.
Delivering the sentence, Arata mentioned Dominique Pelicot won’t be eligible for parole till he has served two-thirds of his sentence.
Dominique Pelicot, 72, has admitted to drugging Gisele Pelicot for nearly a decade so he and strangers he recruited on-line may rape her.
Gisele Pelicot, 72, has grow to be a feminist hero at residence and overseas for refusing to be ashamed, waiving her proper to a closed trial and standing as much as her aggressors in court docket.
Alongside her ex-husband, 50 different males aged 27 to 74 have been on trial, together with one who didn’t abuse her however raped his personal spouse with Dominique Pelicot’s assist.
