Described as “Mr Everyman” by the French media, a group of men sexually assaulted Gisele Pelicot for over a decade while she was drugged and unconscious in her own home. The man responsible for drugging her, Dominique Pelicot, allowed others to abuse her as well, some of whom were even known to Gisele.
Dominique Pelicot, 72, repeatedly drugged his wife and allowed strangers to assault her, even advertising on a French swinging website.
Despite some claiming that Gisele had consented to the drugging and was a willing participant in a sex game with her husband, all the men involved were found guilty of various offenses, with most convicted of rape. The trial shocked France and garnered international attention. Gisele insisted on a public trial, stating, “It is not for us to be ashamed, but for those men.”
Dominique was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with his daughter telling him during the trial that he will “die alone like a dog in jail.” Over 50 other men were also sentenced to a collective total of over 400 years in prison, although some received sentences lower than what the prosecution requested. Five of them were given suspended sentences and released, while the rest have 10 days to appeal.
The men responsible for assaulting Gisele Pelicot were convicted under French law, but their full names cannot be published until after the appeals process.
Cyprien C, Jerome V, Abdelali D, Jean-Luc L, Romain V, Ludovick B, Paul G, Saifeddine G, Omar D, Cedric G, Gregory S, Adrien L, Jean-Marc L, Ahmed T, Dominique D, Cyril B, Mahdi D, Mohamed R, Redouane A, Thierry P, Patrice N, Patrick A, Hugues M, Mathieu D, Jean T, Thierry P, Simone M, Karim S, Didier S, Vincent C, Redouan E, Fabien S, Andy R, Joan K, Husamettin D, Christian L, Nicolas F, Boris M, Philippe L, Nizar H, Charly A, Joseph C, Jean-Pierre M, Lionel R, Cyrille D, Jacques C, Quentin H, Florian R, Cendric V, and Hassan O were all found guilty of various attacks on Gisele.
If you are in need of emotional support or assistance, you can reach out to organizations like Samaritans or the National Domestic Abuse Helpline, or contact the Rape Crisis National Helpline.