French wife in mass rape case angered by suggestions of complicity

A French woman whose husband admits drugging her and letting strangers assault her up to 92 times whilst unconscious has said she feels ‘humiliated’ and angered by accusations that she was complicit in the incidents.

“Ever since I arrived in this courtroom, I have felt humiliated,” said Gisèle Pelicot, 72, yesterday (September 18). "I have been called an alcoholic. I am said to be Mr Pelicot's accomplice. You have to have a certain amount of patience to put up with what I have heard.”

She was called up to the witness box for the first time during the trial that has gained worldwide attention.

The trial is taking place in Avignon against her ex-husband and 50 other men, and is expected to last up to four months.

Some of the alleged rapists say they are not guilty and were unaware she did not know what was happening, or that they thought it was part of a sexual fantasy she consented to, although her ex-husband claims otherwise saying that all the men were fully aware.

Claims of exhibitionism

Defence lawyers for her ex-husband and for some of the accused rapists distributed 27 photos of Ms Pelicot during proceedings yesterday, many showing her naked, having sex with her husband or other men, or using sex toys on herself. 

In some of the photos, she appeared to be looking towards the camera.

Lawyers then posed the question of whether the photos – in some of which the victim appeared awake – showed she was aware of events taking place.

They also questioned if she had traits of “exhibitionism” that would play into sexual roleplays between her and her ex-husband.

Ms Pelicot responded that neurologists have confirmed the tablets Mr Pelicot slipped into her food to drug her – Temesta, a tranquilising drug – caused her to black out, meaning she was unable to remember anything that happened after taking them.

“Just because I walked through my bathroom naked, they are calling me an exhibitionist. [Because] I went naturist on the beach at Grimaud, I am an exhibitionist,” she said, visibly angry.

“I have the impression that I am the guilty party, and that behind me, the 50 [men on trial] are victims,” she added.

“I understand why rape victims don't press charges: we go through a big debacle where we are humiliated!”

Lawyers continued to try to get her to confirm she knew about the photos, telling her “it would be her right” to say if she took pleasure from taking them, or the actions they showed.

“In the state I was in, I absolutely could not answer anyone. I was in a state of coma and the videos we are going to show will attest to that. The experts were shocked by these videos, and they are men,” she responded.

Ms Pelicot has opted for an open trial – hoping to raise awareness against sexual assault cases – but asked for members of the public viewing the trial to leave when the photos were shown.

Read more: Wife raped by 50 men on husband’s invitation opts for open trial in France

Husband took photos ‘without her knowledge’

Her husband, Dominique Pelicot, 71, has confessed to drugging his wife and letting men visit and rape her whilst she was unconscious, in both Paris and Mazan (Vaucluse) where they retired. He did not accept money.

He contacted the men through a now defunct website and then filmed the incidents, which took place over a 10 year period between 2010 and 2020.

Read more: I’m a rapist like others here, says Frenchman who let 50 strangers rape wife

When questioned about the photos shown Mr Pelicot said he took them without his wife’s knowledge using a hidden mobile phone, therefore she would not recall them being taken, and that one photograph that purportedly showed his wife in a sex scene actually depicted another woman who resembled her.