French government official publications or announcements

Ex-Husband of Gisèle Pelicot Gets Maximum 20-Year Sentence for Orchestrating Mass Rape Involving Over 50 Men

Dec 19, 2024, 10:21 AM

A French court in Avignon has sentenced 72-year-old Dominique Pelicot, the ex-husband of Gisèle Pelicot, to the maximum of 20 years in prison for drugging and raping her and facilitating her rape by dozens of other men over nearly a decade. Pelicot was found guilty on all charges in a landmark trial that has shocked France and the world. The court heard that Pelicot had drugged his wife unconscious and recruited more than 50 strangers online to sexually assault her, recording and distributing images of the abuse. The other 50 men were also found guilty, with sentences ranging from three to fifteen years. The case has prompted calls for societal change in attitudes towards rape and consent.