Dominique Pélicot deserves punishment to the fullest extent of the French judicial system.
Dominique Pélicot has admitted to drugging his wife, Gisèle, and inviting men he found online to rape her while unconscious. The 71-year-old asked a suspected 72 people to rape his wife at least 92 times over the course of about a decade.
According to the police, one man raped her six times without a condom knowing he had HIV. While she did not test positive for HIV, she contracted other sexually transmitted diseases.
Currently, prosecutors found around 50 men, with one on the run, to be involved in the crime. Defendants ranging from ages 24 to 74 face charges of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault. Many defendants were people Gisèle interacted with frequently.
Around 35 of the defendants have contested charges, with some even going as far as saying they believed that the couple was “living out a sexual fantasy.”
This claim is difficult to believe, seeing as she was in a coma-like state each time. Health records show that Pélicot acquired 450 sleeping pills in a single year.
Although it is difficult to make a concrete prediction under French law, those who have faced rape charges in the past may be given a 20-year sentence and those with sexual assault charges may face 10 years in prison. Pélicot is predicted to face the maximum sentence.
Pélicot has been in trouble with the law before. In 1999 he had been indicted for attempted rape with a weapon, and he was again arrested in late 2020 for filming up the skirts of women.
All of this was unbeknownst to Gisèle until 2020 when the police launched an investigation into Pélicot, finding multiple files titled “abuses” on his computer, which showed images and videos of her being raped.
Gisèle opted for a public trial as she did not want to give “the attackers what they wanted,.” the Guardian reported. She has felt the support of her three children and the French public as they stood outside the courtroom dressed in all black.
“I would like to thank all those who have shown me their support,” Gisèle said addressing the public outside the courtroom. “I dedicate this fight to all the men and women around the world who are victims of sexual violence. To all these victims, I want to say today: Look around you, you are not alone.”
Her bravery in making this case public has allowed both French and international sexual assault victims to feel hope as they stand in solidarity with her.
Magali Lafourcade is not involved with the case but works as a judge and secretary-general of the National Consultative Commission of Human Rights, which believes that women are being heard more, especially since the #MeToo movement.
According to Lafourcade, dismissiveness is prevalent in the justice system. Many victims do not report their cases out of fear and only a small fraction of perpetrators end up going to prison.
“For a very long time, we saw the rape and killing of women by men as something that pertained to the private sphere,” Lafourcade stated. “We thought we should not interfere with people’s private lives.”
Lafourcade expanded on this point, sharing that civil groups continuously fight to depict sexual violence as a societal, political and financial issue, not just a private affair.
Acknowledging issues within the judicial system will further build trust and help more victims report their cases.
This case is important in defining this age of the French judicial system. To support victims of sexual violence, all those involved in perpetuating violence against Gisèle must be held accountable. Regardless of the perceived severity of the crimes individually committed, as a collective, this group of men have invaded her autonomy and privacy and must face the harshest punishment possible.
