Gisele Pelicot, 72, has become a symbol of female courage and resilience during the three-month trial of her now ex-husband and his 50 co-defendants, in a case that has horrified the world. All were found guilty by the court on Dec. 19.
read more
Courtroom sketch of Dominique Pelicot, who was found guilty, along with 50 other men, of rape and sexual assault this month. Image- Reuters
Dominique Pelicot, recently sentenced to 20 years in prison by a French court for drugging and raping his then-wife Gisele over nearly a decade and facilitating her assault by dozens of strangers, has decided not to appeal the verdict, his lawyer said Monday.
However, a new trial will proceed, as 17 co-defendants have filed appeals against their convictions. They come from all walks of life: lorry drivers, soldiers, firefighters, security guards, farm workers, a supermarket worker, a journalist and the unemployed.
Many of the accused had denied the charges, saying they thought it was a consensual sex game orchestrated by the couple and arguing that it was not rape if the husband approved.
“He decided not to appeal, because he says it would be a new ordeal and new confrontations for his wife, who he always said in the debates was not his adversary,” Dominique Pelicot’s lawyer Beatrice Zavarro said on FranceInfo Radio.
Dominique Pelicot, who was married to Gisele for 50 years, had pleaded guilty and the panel of five judges gave him the maximum sentence, as requested by prosecutors.
The cour