I’m a rapist like others here, says Frenchman who let 50 strangers rape wife
Men who raped her were ‘aware’ she was unconscious, he told court
The trial will last four months
Ppictures / Shutterstock
A 71-year old Frenchman accused of drugging his wife and letting over 50 men sexually assault her while she was unconscious has admitted he is a rapist during the first day of his trial.
“I am a rapist, just like the others in this room,” said Dominique Pelicot in court this morning (September 17) when questioned.
“They all knew about her condition before they came. They all knew, they cannot say otherwise,” he said about the other men on trial.
The trial began on September 2, but the appearance of Mr Pelicot was delayed for a number of days after he fell sick and required hospital treatment.
He answered questions whilst sitting on an armchair, and is using a cane.
Today is the first time he has been questioned in relation to the case. The trial is taking place in Avignon, near the village of Mazan where the couple lived,
His former wife Gisèle Pelicot, 72, opted for an open trial – going against the usual convention for such cases – and has been supported across France for her decision.
Read more: Wife raped by 50 men on husband’s invitation opts for open trial in France
‘She did not deserve this’
Mr Pelicot is accused of drugging his wife and letting her be raped by men he invited to his house up to 92 times over a 10-year period, between 2010 and 2020. He found them through the internet and did not accept money.
Read more: Man accused of drugging wife and letting more than 50 men rape her in France
He took video recordings of the incidents, which the police discovered in relation to another inquiry about him and have used to track down over 50 men who took part.
“She did not deserve this,” he said when asked about his actions.
“I was very happy with her. She was the opposite of my mother, completely unsubmissive. I was happy, I had three children, grandchildren, that I never touched.”
Mr Pelicot also spoke about his experiences as a child, which he claimed were partially responsible for his actions.
He claims to have been sexually assaulted at the age of nine by a male nurse, and then forced to have sex with a woman at age 14 when he was an apprentice on a building site.
“I have been accused of a lot of things. You're not born a pervert, you become one,” he said.
“Even if it is paradoxical, I have never considered my wife an object. Unfortunately, the videos show the opposite.”
‘I ask for forgiveness’
“It is difficult for me to hear what Mr Pelicot has just said,” replied his wife after he gave a statement.
“For 50 years I have lived with a man... I never imagined for a second that he could have committed these acts of rape.”
“I regret what I did, I ask for forgiveness, even if it is unforgivable,” replied her husband.
The trial will last for four months as it also involves the 50 men accused of raping Ms Pelicot.
