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A French court has found Dominique Pellicot guilty of drugging and raping his wife multiple times over decades and inviting dozens of men to take part in the abuse at his home.
On Thursday, a judge at the Avignon court sentenced 72-year-old Pellicot, who admitted the crime, to a maximum of 20 years in prison.
They also convicted 50 other defendants who were tried with him and sentenced him to prison terms ranging from three to 15 years, some shorter than what prosecutors sought.
The landmark trial shocked and moved people in France and around the world, not only because of the horrific nature of the crime, but also because of the steely determination of Giselle Pellicot, the 71-year-old woman at the center of the case.
The mother-of-three asked that the trial be open to the public and that a video of the abuse filmed by her now-ex-husband be played in court as evidence to overturn the defendant’s denials.
Despite her trauma, Pellicot confronted the men directly, attending every day of the three-month trial and declaring her desire to promote change in French society.
“I decided not to be ashamed. I didn’t do anything wrong,” she testified in October. “They are the ones who should be ashamed,” she said.
Dominic Pelicot attracted the men through online advertising and invited them to his home to participate in the rape. He admitted that he secretly gave his wife powerful sleeping pills.
She knew nothing about the abuse until police showed her the footage during their investigation.
The case has prompted a deep rethink in France about how police and prosecutors handle sexual harassment and rape accusations, reverberating beyond the courts because such cases rarely lead to convictions.
The defendants, who range in age from 22 to 70 and include a firefighter, a journalist, a student and retirees, also suggest rapists do not fit the standard profile.
Lawyers and politicians have reignited the debate over whether France should change the legal definition of rape to include a requirement for explicit consent.
Currently, there is no explicit reference to consent, which could complicate rape cases in which women freeze or do not speak during assaults, including in cases where they have been drugged.
Feminist groups held rallies across the country in support of Gisele Pellico, and graffiti artists painted her likeness on city walls. Throughout the trial, people gathered each day to applaud her and hand her flowers as she entered and exited the courthouse.
Outside the courthouse on Thursday, people gathered in support of Gisele Pellico, holding signs that read “Thank you Gisele” and “We are all Gisele.”
But after the verdict was announced, the crowd erupted in anger as many thought the sentence was too lenient and shouted “shame on the justice system”.
