French prosecutors have called for sentences of up to 14 years for several remaining co-defendants of a man accused of recruiting numerous strangers to sexually assault his wife while she was drugged and unconscious.
On the previous day, prosecutors sought a maximum 20-year prison term for Dominique Pelicot, who has been on trial in the southern city of Avignon since September alongside 49 other men for orchestrating the rapes and sexual assaults of Gisele Pelicot, now his ex-wife.
One individual is being tried in absentia.
This case has triggered outrage, protests, and a discussion about male violence in France, with tens of thousands of demonstrators taking to the streets nationwide on Saturday against violence directed at women.
Prosecutors are presenting their sentencing proposals for all defendants, who belong to various professions ranging from the fire service to the media.
Public prosecutor Laure Chabaud requested a 14-year sentence for Karim S, 38, who was among the few defendants found to have exchanged messages with Mr. Pelicot, as discovered by investigators.
For Florian R, 32, who did not acknowledge “intent,” and Gregory S, 31, who was “aware of Gisele Pelicot’s compromised condition,” Mr. Chabaud demanded thirteen years in prison.
Some defense attorneys have characterized the sentencing requests as “overwhelming” and “disproportionate,” claiming that the prosecution is under pressure from “public sentiment.”
“I am apprehensive about what will follow,” stated Louis-Alain Lemaire, a lawyer representing four defendants.
Nevertheless, public prosecutors argue the trial should mark a significant shift in societal attitudes.
“In 2024, we can no longer say ‘she did not say anything, she agreed,’ that belongs to another time,” Mr. Chabaud remarked yesterday.
Psychological reports
Prosecutors sought a 12-year sentence for nine of the other defendants, including Boris M, 37, who asserted during the hearings that he was also a victim.
“He claims he was a victim of Dominique Pelicot, much like Gisele Pelicot,” prosecutor Jean-Francois Mayet stated.
However, he added, “at no point did he seek or secure Gisele Pelicot’s consent,” explaining, “in truth, he was satisfied with the situation presented to him” by the main defendant.
Prosecutors also requested a 12-year sentence for Mahdi D, 36, who similarly alleged he was a victim of Mr. Pelicot’s actions.
Mr. Chabaud additionally requested a 12-year sentence for Lionel R, 44, who claimed he was participating in “a couple’s fantasy.”
Many of the accused contended in court that they believed Pelicot’s assertion that they were involved in a libertine fantasy, where his wife had consented to sexual activity and was merely pretending to be asleep.
Among them, 33 argued that they were not in control of their faculties during the abuse or rape of Gisele Pelicot, a defense not supported by any of the psychological evaluations conducted by court-appointed experts.
‘Denies responsibility’
Prosecutors also demanded a 12-year prison term for Cyril B, 47, who “was fully aware that Gisele Pelicot should not be awakened,” and for Thierry P, 54, who claimed Mr. Pelicot was “entirely responsible,” according to the public prosecutor.
Mr. Mayet advocated the same prison term for Omar D, 36, who argued that “the husband’s consent and presence seemed adequate,” and for Ahmed T, 54, who “denies any accountability.”
Two other defendants, Redouane A, 40, who said he came to Mazan to “satisfy the couple,” and Jean T, 52, who claimed without evidence that he too was drugged by the main defendant, are also facing a 12-year sentence.
Yesterday, prosecutors requested a 17-year prison sentence for one defendant, Jean-Pierre M, 63, who adopted Mr. Pelicot’s methods to sexually assault his own wife on a dozen occasions, sometimes in Mr. Pelicot’s presence.
The trial has turned Gisele Pelicot, who pushed for the hearings to be public, into a feminist symbol in the battle against sexual abuse.
Mr. Mayet commended her “bravery” and “grace,” expressing gratitude for her decision to allow the hearings to be conducted publicly.
The final verdicts and sentences are anticipated by December 20.
