17 men convicted of raping Gisele Pelicot will appeal against verdict
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Almost half of the 51 men convicted of raping or sexually assaulting Gisele Pelicot with the aid of Dominique Pelicot will appeal their sentences. The 72-year-old woman, who has been hailed a feminist symbol for the struggle against domestic violence in France, was drugged and raped by her ex-husband Dominique, who recruited dozens of strangers to rape her over the course of a decade.
51 men were jailed for a total of 400 years for the heinous crimes against her, with Dominique handed a sentence of 20 years. 17 men convicted of raping or sexually assaulting Ms Pelicot have now said they will appeal, with more potentially following before the window to lodge appeals closes on December 30.
![[One of the defendant arrives at the courthouse in Avignon on December 19, 2024, as the verdict is expected in the trial of a man, with 50 others, accused of drugging his wife and orchestrating multiple rapes over nearly a decade. A court in the French southern town of Avignon is trying Dominique Pelicot, a 71-year-old retiree, for repeatedly raping and enlisting dozens of strangers to rape his heavily sedated wife Gisele Pelicot in her own bed over a decade. Fifty other men, aged between 26 and 74, are also on trial for alleged involvement, in a case that has horrified France. (Photo by Sylvain THOMAS / AFP) (Photo by SYLVAIN THOMAS/AFP via Getty Images)]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_233726523-72d3.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Dominique Pelicot’s lawyer, Beatrice Zavarro told French media that her client had decided against an appeal, however, as he reportedly did not want to inflict a ‘new ordeal’ on his ex-wife. ‘He felt that this decision was in line with the position he had always taken in the trial, namely that Ms Pelicot was not and never had been his adversary,’ Ms Zavarro said of her client, who wanted to be ‘done’ with the case.
Dominique will remain present in court as a key witness during the appeals trial. Gisele Pelicot has notably attended the proceedings, despite being under no obligation to, as she wants to ‘face those who have appealed’. ‘She’s not scared of that,’ her lawyer Stéphane Babonneau told French media.
‘Although, she obviously would have rather it ended here.’. Under French law, the identities of victims of sexual assault are normally hidden, however Gisele insisted on a public trial to expose her ex-husband and the 50 others convicted of raping her.
