A grandmother whose husband drugged her and invited dozens of men to rape her will take the witness stand this morning in the worst sexual abuse trial in France’s history.
Gisele Pelicot bravely waived her right to anonymity to go public with details of the horrific betrayal her partner of 50 years had forced her to endure for ten years.
Today Madame Pelicot, 71, will relive the trauma she experienced when a police investigator showed her graphic films of her being repeatedly raped by her husband Dominique and more than 80 strangers while she was unconscious.
Madame Pelicot, who has three adult children and seven grandchildren, is determined that the public should know that she played no part in her husband’s twisted sexual fantasies which he carried out in their picturesque chalet in the Provençal village of Mazan.
Dominique Pelicot and 50 others accused of raping her. Pelicot and 14 of her co-defendants have admitted their involvement in France’s worst rape case.
Gisele Pelicot (pictured arriving at court this morning) bravely waived her right to anonymity to go public with details of the horrific betrayal her partner of 50 years had forced her to endure for ten years.
Dominique Pelicot and 50 others accused of raping her. Pelicot and 14 of her co-defendants have admitted their involvement in France’s worst rape case
Today, Madame Pelicot, 71, will relive the trauma she experienced when a police investigator showed her graphic videos of her being repeatedly raped by her husband Dominique and more than 80 strangers while she was unconscious.
Madame Pelicot is determined that the public should know that she played no part in her husband’s twisted sexual fantasies which he played out in their picturesque chalet-house in the Provençal village of Mazan (pictured).
But 35 men, from all walks of life, deny forcing themselves on Madame Pelicot while she was unconscious, claiming she somehow gave her consent.
But this morning, Madame Pelicot, who had no idea of the abuse her husband had been subjecting her to for more than a decade, is determined that France and the rest of the world should hear her testimony.
Wearing a long orange dress, a white blouse and a gold necklace, Madame Pelicot sat with her head held high in the same courtroom as the 51 men accused her of raping her.
Accompanied by her three adult children, the 71-year-old, sporting a chic auburn bob, stood defiantly in the face of her abusers.
She looked up at the ceiling of the Avignon courtroom and sighed deeply as Judge Roger Arata opened the fourth day of the trial that has shocked France.
Across the room, Dominique Pelicot, her gray-haired husband of 50 years (who claims to have adored his wife), stared at her blankly.
Madame Pelicot had no idea she was being subjected to this terrible betrayal until her husband was arrested for “hiking up her skirt” at their local supermarket and police discovered a library of “sex films” in their home.
At 9.20 am, Ms. Pelicot took the stand to give her statement.
Wearing a long orange dress, a white blouse and a gold necklace, Madame Pelicot sat with her head held high in the same courtroom as the 51 men accused her of raping her.
Mr Pelicot’s daughter, Caroline Darian, arrived at court with her mother this morning.
Madame Pelicot had no idea she was being subjected to this terrible betrayal until her husband was arrested for “hiking up her skirt” at their local supermarket and police discovered a library of “sex films” in their home (pictured above).
Some of the 50 co-defendants accused of rape speak to a lawyer in court in the case that has shocked France on Monday, September 2
Madame Pelicot is pictured above as she arrived at court this morning.
The image above shows a general view of the place where the Pelicots lived, known as the house of horrors, with a creepy back alley.
She gave her name, maiden name and age into the microphone.
Judge Arata tried to reassure her by telling her that she should take her time in giving her testimony and warned her that she would be questioned.
Caroline Darian’s book
She said: ‘I would not be before you if it were not for the work of the Carpentras police (the town where the supermarket where her husband was arrested in 2020 is located).
‘That day in September I was out with my daughter. I came home to Mazan and sat in the kitchen.
‘Mr Pelicot told me: “I did something stupid. I took some photos in the supermarket.”
‘After 50 years of marriage I told him I would forgive him, but if there was a second time I would leave him.
‘In October I went to Paris to look after two of my grandchildren.
‘I received a phone call from the police telling me they wanted to talk to me.
“I got an appointment in November at the Carpentras police headquarters.”
She continued: ‘We were later summoned to the police. I knew I had taken photographs of these women and I thought we were going as a formality.
Dominique Pelicot can be seen in this court sketch on the right.
This image shows a black and white facial reconstruction of a younger Dominique Pelicot.
Dominique Pelicot is accused of orchestrating the rape ring
Gisele Pelicot (center) sits with her daughter Caroline Darian (second from left) and sons Florian Pelicot (left) and David Pelicot (second from right) with her wife Celine F. (right), in court during her husband’s trial on September 2.
‘For 50 years I always supported my husband, in his health, financial and relationship problems. It was based on trust. But I left and returned home while my husband was in detention.
‘The trauma was enormous. The shock. I came home with my little dog. I couldn’t stay alone. I had to go see some friends.
“I told my son that his father was in custody and had been charged. On November 3, I went to the Carpentras police station.
“The police showed me the videos. My world fell apart. When I told my daughter, she screamed.
‘I left my house with two suitcases and my dog. That was all I had after 50 years of marriage. It was all based on trust for 50 years.
“My daughter suffered a nervous breakdown and needed medical help.”