After 10 weeks of proceedings, the mass rape trial that has shocked France is entering its final phase with closing statements.
The case involves a former couple, Dominique and Gisèle Pelicot, both in their early 70s. Ms. Pelicot’s legal team will deliver their closing arguments on Tuesday, followed by the defense, with a verdict from a panel of five judges expected on December 20.
Dominique Pelicot, along with 50 other men, stood trial in Avignon, southern France, starting in September.
Every aspect of this case has been under intense public scrutiny, as Ms. Pelicot has chosen to waive her anonymity, allowing the trial to be fully open to the media and the public.
In France, it has become known as the Affaire Mazan, after the village near Avignon where the Pelicots lived.
In November 2020, Dominique Pelicot confessed to drugging his then-wife for nearly a decade and luring dozens of men online to rape her while she was unconscious in their home.
Police traced his co-accused from thousands of videos found on Mr. Pelicot’s laptop, though they were unable to identify an additional 21 men. Investigators have evidence suggesting around 200 rapes occurred between 2011 and 2020.
Most of the defendants deny the rape charges, claiming they were unaware Ms. Pelicot was unconscious and thus did not “know” they were assaulting her.
This defense has sparked a nationwide debate over whether consent should be explicitly included in France’s legal definition of rape, which currently defines it as “any act of sexual penetration committed against another person by violence, constraint, threat, or surprise.”
The trial has also brought attention to the issue of chemical submission—drug-induced sexual assault.
Blackouts and memory loss after years of marriage
Dominique and Gisèle Pelicot, both born in 1952, married in 1973 and had three children. She worked as a manager for a large French company, while he, a trained electrician, tried his hand at several businesses, none of which succeeded.
The couple lived in the Paris area until 2013, when they retired to the charming village of Mazan in the south of France. They owned a large house with a swimming pool and frequently hosted their extended family during the summer holidays.
They appeared to be a happy, close-knit couple. “We shared holidays, anniversaries, Christmases… All of that, for me, was happiness,” Ms. Pelicot has said.
Between 2011 and 2020, Ms. Pelicot began experiencing troubling symptoms, which she initially believed to be signs of Alzheimer’s or a brain tumor. After undergoing numerous medical tests, she discovered that the blackouts and memory loss were actually the result of drugs her husband had been secretly administering to her.
Upon learning of his crimes, Ms. Pelicot divorced her husband. She now uses her maiden name for the trial.
Dominique Pelicot has been in prison since November 2020 and will be sentenced next month, along with the other 50 defendants involved in the case.
How the case came to light
In September 2020, Dominique Pelicot was caught by a security guard filming under women’s skirts in a supermarket in southern France.
The police detained him and seized his electronic devices. Upon reviewing his Skype account, they discovered concerning chats, followed by thousands of videos showing men engaging in sex with an apparently unconscious woman — his wife, Gisèle.
Investigators spent weeks gathering evidence before arresting Mr. Pelicot in November 2020. He quickly confessed to all charges.
When Ms. Pelicot was shown photos and videos of herself appearing unconscious, she was shocked to realize she had no recollection of these events. She denied ever consenting to sex with other men and came to understand that her husband had been drugging her for nearly a decade.
Fifty-one men in the dock
Fifty men, ranging in age from 26 to 72, are standing trial alongside Mr. Pelicot.
They come from diverse backgrounds, including a fireman, carpenter, nurse, and journalist. Many are married with children, and most lived within a 60km (37 miles) radius of the Pelicots’ home.
A few of the men have admitted to raping Ms. Pelicot.
However, the majority deny the charges, with their defense centered on the claim that they did not realize they were committing rape. They argue they were unaware she was unconscious and thus could not give consent.
Mr. Pelicot has consistently denied this defense, stating that when he recruited men online, he made it clear that his wife would be asleep. “They all knew, they cannot say otherwise,” he has stated.
What Gisèle Pelicot has told the court so far
Gisèle Pelicot made the decision to waive her anonymity, a rare move in rape cases. Her legal team also insisted that the videos of the alleged rapes be presented in court.
Ms. Pelicot has expressed that she hopes her actions will encourage other survivors of sexual violence to come forward. “I want every woman who has been raped to say: Madame Pelicot did it, I can too. I don’t want them to feel ashamed any longer,” she stated.
She strongly rejected the defense’s “humiliating” claims that she may have been intoxicated or pretending to be asleep during the alleged rapes, emphasizing that she had no interest in partner-swapping or threesomes.
At the same time, Ms. Pelicot has been open about the profound impact her husband’s abuse and deception has had on her life. “People may see me and think: that woman is strong,” she said. “The facade may be solid, but behind it lies a field of ruins.”
How France has responded to the trial
The shocking nature of Dominique Pelicot’s actions, the large number of men involved, and Gisèle Pelicot’s decision to advocate for an open trial have brought significant attention to the case.
Each day, dozens of people attend the court in Avignon to show their support for Ms. Pelicot, greeting her with applause and offering flowers.
Murals depicting her distinctive appearance, with her short bob and round sunglasses, have appeared across France, and demonstrations in her support have been held nationwide.
She is widely credited with sparking a critical conversation about rape culture, misogyny, and chemical submission.
In response, several feminist groups are now calling for the government to amend the legal definition of rape to include consent, a standard already adopted in many European countries.
“Society has already recognized that the difference between sex and rape is consent,” said Greens senator Mélanie Vogel, who proposed a consent-based rape law last year. “However, criminal law has not yet caught up.”
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