Dominique Pelicot, the man who organized for more than 50 men to rape his unconscious wife, is “fully responsible” for his actions, a French public prosecutor told court after requesting the maximum prison sentence of 20 years.
Public prosecutor Laure Chabaud told the packed courthouse in Avignon, southern France, on Monday that the sentence would be “long” but “not enough considering the serious nature of these acts.”
“There are many examples in history of criminals capable of presenting themselves in a charming light and who at the same time are capable of the worst atrocities. Dominique Pelicot fits this bill. He was an attentive husband, father and grandfather,” Chabaud said.
“He suffers from no mental illness, so he is fully responsible for the acts he committed. We must ask ourselves about the future, which appears relatively bleak. His is considered incredibly dangerous,” she added.
A huge crowd of journalists and supporters gathered in the courtroom inside Avignon’s Tribunal de Grande Instance on Monday morning for the final day of oral arguments in a case that has made headlines at home in France and around the world.
Pelicot has been accused of organizing for more than 50 men to visit his house in the southern French village of Mazan and rape his wife, Gisele Pelicot. Over a period spanning nearly 10 years, Dominique Pelicot used an online website and messaging platforms to seek out men from a radius spanning roughly 25 miles (40 kilometers). Pelicot has admitted to habitually drugging his wife with a strong sedative before allowing strangers to sexually abuse her.
Dominique Pelicot kept his eyes closed and looked down at the ground during the hearing.
Beatrice Zavarro, the lawyer for Dominique Pelicot, told journalists outside court after Monday morning’s hearing that the request wasn’t a “surprise for us” and had been entirely “predictable.”
Despite this, she said it was still “difficult” to tell a 72-year-old man such as Pelicot that he may have to spend the next 20 years in prison.
Saskya Vandoorne reported in Avignon, Niamh Kennedy wrote in London.