Gisèle Pelicot's ex-husband found guilty of rapes, sentenced to 20 years in prison in France

WARNING: This article may affect those who have experienced​ ​​​sexual violence or know someone affected by it. 

A court in France on Thursday sentenced the ex-husband of Gisèle Pelicot to a maximum 20 years of imprisonment for drugging and raping her and inviting other men to rape her while she was knocked out, in abuse that lasted nearly a decade.

The sentence against Dominique Pelicot was declared after he was found guilty of all charges against him. At age 72, it could mean that he spends the rest of his life in prison.

Roger Arata, the lead judge of the court in Avignon, read out verdicts one after the other against Pelicot and 50 other men, a process that took over an hour.

"You are therefore declared guilty of aggravated rape on the person of Mme. Gisèle Pelicot," the judge said as he worked his way through the long list of names.

Supporters 'gave me the strength': Gisèle Pelicot

Gisèle Pelicot has become a feminist hero, both at home and abroad, for waiving her right to anonymity and standing up to her abusers in court. She expressed support for other survivors of sexual violence whose cases don't get such attention and "whose stories remain untold."

"I want you to know that we share the same fight," she said.

As campaigners against sexual violence rallied outside the courthouse, the 72-year-old expressed "my profound gratitude towards the people who supported me."

"Your messages moved me deeply, and they gave me the strength to come back, every day, and survive through these long daily hearings," she said. "This trial was a very difficult ordeal."

Pelicot said she had her grandchildren in mind as she endured the more than three months of hearings, saying: "It's also for them that I led this fight."

In her final remarks before departing through a massive media throng, she said: "I wanted all of society to be a witness to the debates that took place here. I never regretted making this decision. I have trust in our capacity to collectively project ourselves toward a future where all, women and men, can live in harmony, with respect and mutual understanding. Thank you."

Dominique Pelicot's lawyer, Béatrice Zavarro, said that she would weigh a possible appeal, but she also expressed hope that Gisèle Pelicot would find solace in the court's rulings.

"I wanted Mrs. Pelicot to be able to emerge from these hearings in peace, and I think that the verdicts will contribute to this relief for Mrs. Pelicot," she said.

Trove of computer evidence

Dominique Pelicot carefully catalogued how he habitually tranquilized his wife of 50 years during their last decade together so he and dozens of strangers he met online could rape her while she was unconscious.

Staggeringly, he found it easy to recruit his alleged accomplices. Many had jobs. Most are fathers. They came from all walks of life, with the youngest in his 20s and the oldest in their 70s.

In all, 50 men, including Dominique Pelicot, stood trial for aggravated rape and attempted rape. Another man was also found guilty on the sexual assault charge he was tried for — meaning all 51 of the defendants were found guilty in one way or another.

"They regarded me like a rag doll, like a garbage bag," Gisèle Pelicot testified in court.

Jean-Pierre Marechal, 63, was the only defendant not accused of raping or abusing Gisele Pelicot. Instead, encouraged by Dominique Pelicot, he drugged his own wife and let Pelicot come to his home on several occasions to rape her. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Dominique Pelicot's meticulous recording and cataloguing of the encounters — police found more than 20,000 photos and videos on his computer drives, in folders titled "abuse," "her rapists" or "night alone" — provided investigators with an abundance of evidence and helped lead them to the defendants.

That also set the case apart from many others in which sexual violence is unreported or isn't prosecuted because the evidence isn't as strong.

WATCH | Anticipation ran high for historic verdict: 

The final days of France’s mass rape trial

3 days ago

Duration 2:23

Dominique Pelicot, by his own admission in court, invited dozens of men he recruited online over to his home to rape his wife, Gisèle Pelicot — whom he had drugged. In all, 51 men stand accused and verdicts are expected later this week. CBC’s Sarah Leavitt spoke to residents in Mazan about the trial’s impact in France.

Gisèle Pelicot and her lawyers fought successfully for shocking video and other evidence to be heard and watched in open court, to show that she bore no shame and was clearly unconscious during the alleged rapes, undermining some defendants' claims that she might have been feigning sleep or even a willing participant.

Gisèle Pelicot said earlier that she was fighting for "all those people around the world, women and men, who are victims of sexual violence."

"Look around you: You are not alone," she said.

For anyone who has been sexually assaulted, there is support available through crisis lines and local support services via the Ending Violence Association of Canada database.

For anyone affected by family or intimate partner violence, there is support available through crisis lines and local support services.

If you're in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.