Gisèle Pelicot said she respects the verdict handed out by an Avignon court after her ex-husband and 50 co-defendants were collectively sentenced to more than 400 years in prison.
Ms Pelicot’s children had said they were “disappointed” by the “low sentences” handed out to Dominique Pelicot’s co-defendants who took part in the mass rape and drugging of their mother, an anonymous family member told AFP.
Speaking for the first time since the sentencing, Ms Pelicot said on the steps of the Avignon court that she found the trial “very difficult” but did not regret waiving her anonymity.
Asked by a reporter what her thoughts on today’s sentencing were, she said: “I respect the courts and I respect the decisions.”
In all, the court found 47 of the defendants guilty of rape, two guilty of attempted rape and two guilty of sexual assault.
Prosecutors had asked for 652 years’ imprisonment for the 51 defendants, who were ultimately sentenced to 428 years behind bars.
Feminist activists, who had come to witness the verdict, demonstrated their disappointment and anger outside the Avignon courthouse after demanding 20-year sentences for all defendants.
However, the rape survivor showed no sign of that disappointment as she addressed the court after learning her husband would serve at least 20 years in prison.
She said she was feeling “very emotional” and thinking of her children and grandchildren.
“For them, I wanted to put this struggle forward,” she said.
The second-highest sentence was 15 years, which was handed to Romain Vandevelde, who visited the Pelicot home six times despite being HIV-positive.
Under treatment for 20 years, he had a low viral load and was therefore not contagious at the time of the events, according to his lawyer, who provided medical documentation. Prosecutors had asked for 18 years.
The three sentences of 13 years in prison were handed down to defendants who had also visited Mazan six times: Charly Arbo, Jérôme Vilela and Dominique Davies.
Of the 51 convicted, 41 were remanded in custody, three received deferred committal orders and six were allowed to walk free.
Béatrice Zavarro, Pelicot’s lawyer, said he had not yet decided whether he would appeal against this decision, which would trigger a retrial before a popular jury.
“We will make a decision within the 10-day period,” she declared, before adding that Pelicot “is somewhat dazed by the security period that has been pronounced against him”.
01:37 PM GMT
That’s all for today
Thank you for following our live coverage of the trial of Dominique Pelicot and 50 other men, who were accused of raping and drugging Gisele Pelicot in her home.
The court found 47 of the defendants guilty of rape, two guilty of attempted rape and two guilty of sexual assault.
Pelicot was sentenced to 20 years in prison, which could be extended.
He will likely die in jail.
01:29 PM GMT
‘Merci Gisele’
The trial ended several hours ago but crowds of women are still outside of the Avignon court waving placards in support of Gisele Pelicot.
Two women hold placards in support of Frenchwoman Gisele Pelicot – REUTERS
01:02 PM GMT
Gisele Pelicot’s statement in full
“It is with deep emotion that I speak to you today. This trial has been a very difficult ordeal. And at this moment, I am thinking first and foremost of my three children, David, Caroline and Florian.
“I’m also thinking of my grandchildren, because they are the future, and it’s also for them that I’ve fought this battle, as well as my daughters-in-law, Aurore and Céline.
“I’m also thinking of all the other families affected by this tragedy. I’m also thinking of the unrecognised victims, whose stories often remain in the shadows. I want you to know that we share the same struggle.
“I would like to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who has supported me throughout this ordeal. Your testimonies have overwhelmed me and given me the strength to come back every day to face those long days of hearings.
“I would also like to thank the Victim Support Association, whose unfailing support has been invaluable.
“To all the journalists who have followed this case from the outset, I wish to express my gratitude for the faithful, respectful and dignified way in which they have reported daily on these hearings.
“Finally, I would like to express my gratitude and esteem to my lawyers for having accompanied me at every stage of this painful journey.
“When I opened the doors of this trial on September 2, I wanted society to be able to take part in the debates that took place. I have never regretted that decision.
“I now have confidence in our ability to collectively grasp a future in which everyone, woman and man, can live in harmony, with mutual respect and understanding.”
Asked afterwards by the press about the verdict handed down a few minutes earlier by the Criminal Court, Mrs Pelicot simply added: “I respect the court and the decision of the verdict.”
Gisèle Pelicot with her lawyers Stephane Babonneau and Antoine Camus at the criminal court in Avignon – GUILLAUME HORCAJUELO/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
12:47 PM GMT
Crowd cheers outside courtroom
Gisèle Pelicot was met with rousing applause as she left the Avignon criminal court for the last time.
Supporters chanted “Gisèle, Gisèle” as she was escorted away by a squad of French CRS riot police.
The 72-year-old grandmother and her children were led to a marked police car and driven off in a four-car convoy with motor cycle outriders with blue lights flashing.
Gisèle Pelicot leaves the courthouse surrounded by French police in Avignon, France – MANON CRUZ/REUTERS
12:37 PM GMT
Scholz salutes Pelicot’s bravery
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has saluted the bravery of Gisèle Pelicot for demanding a public and open trial of her ex-husband who was convicted of orchestrating her mass rape.
“The shame must change sides. Thank you, Gisèle Pelicot!” Scholz said, echoing Pelicot’s own words.
“You courageously went from anonymity into the public eye and fought for justice. You gave women around the world a strong voice. The shame always lies with the perpetrator,” he added.
12:25 PM GMT
Pictured: Gisele Pelicot leaves court
Gisèle Pelicot is now leaving the Avignon courthouse after addressing the large crowd that had gathered inside.
She waved away a microphone that was placed towards, which suggests that she did not want to speak again after giving an initial statement.
12:21 PM GMT
Watch: Gisèle Pelicot speaks after court verdicts
“I’m thinking of the hidden victims whose stories often stay in the shadows,” Gisèle Pelicot said outside of the Avignon court on Thursday.
“I want you to know that we share the same fight.”
12:16 PM GMT
Gisèle Pelicot’s comments come after family expresses ‘disappointment’
Gisèle Pelicot told the crowd gathered inside the Avignon courthouse that she “respects” the sentencing handed down by the judges.
However, an anonymous family member privately expressed their “disappointment” with the “low sentences”, according to AFP.
Pelicot (her ex-husband) himself was jailed for 20 years, while the Avignon court sentenced his co-defendants to between three and 15 years in jail – with two of the sentences suspended.
12:07 PM GMT
Gisèle Pelicot found trial ‘very difficult’
Gisèle Pelicot said the trial was “very difficult”.
However, she said she did not regret waiving her right to anonymity.
12:01 PM GMT
Gisèle Pelicot feeling ‘emotional’ and thinking of her children
Gisèle Pelicot said she is feeling “very emotional” and thinking of her children and grandchildren.
She said: “For them, I wanted to put this struggle forward.
“I’d like to express my deepest gratitude to all the individuals who have supported me throughout this, with the witness statements and the testimonials.
“This really gave me strength to come back day after day.”
Gisèle Pelicot addresses the crowd inside the court in Avignon – MANON CRUZ/REUTERS
11:58 AM GMT
Gisèle Pelicot speaks outside court
Gisèle Pelicot is speaking outside of the court in Avignon.
She was greeted to loud cheers as she stepped outside.
We’ll bring you live updates of what she says.
11:53 AM GMT
Pictured: Court sketch of Gisèle Pelicot
This court-sketch, made by Benoit Peyrucq in Avignon, depicts Gisèle Pelicot towering over the courtroom as the verdicts are handed down by the judge.
Of course, this is not an actual reflection of the view inside the courtroom, rather a representation of how Gisèle transformed from a victim at the start of the trial to a major public figure.
The court-sketch shows Gisèle Pelicot during the hearing of the verdicts – BENOIT PEYRUCQ/AFP
11:41 AM GMT
Dominique Pelicot jailed for 20 years
Dominique Pelicot has been sentenced to the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for inviting more than 70 strangers to rape his unsuspecting wife Gisèle in their Provence home as she lay drugged unconscious.
To a packed Vaucluse criminal courtroom in Avignon, southern France, five professional judges handed the retired electrician the maximum possible sentence for “aggravated rape”, meaning that the 72-year-old will likely die behind bars.
Prosecutors said he deserved more given the scale of his depraved crimes, which have earned him the monicker “the monster of Mazan”, referring to the village where most of the rapes took place.
He filmed the abuse of his wife and meticulously stored the images and films on a hard drive. He was found out by chance after being arrested in a supermarket for upskirting in 2020.
11:16 AM GMT
Gisèle Pelicot thanked for her ‘courage’
The president of France’s National Assembly has thanked Gisèle Pelicot for her “courage”.
In a post on X, Yaël Braun-Pivet said Pelicot had become “the voice of so many victims”.
She said: “The world is no longer the same thanks to you.”
A woman holds a placard that reads ‘all women on earth support you, thank you Gisèle’ – CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU/AFP
11:06 AM GMT
Dominique Pelicot’s children ‘disappointed’
The children of Dominique Pelicot, who was sentenced to 20 years for orchestrating and committing the mass rape of his now ex-wife Gisele, believe that the verdicts handed down by a French court were too mild.
“The children are disappointed by these low sentences,” said a family member, asking not be identified, after a court in Avignon sentenced Pelicot’s co-defendants to between three and 15 years in jail, with two of the sentences suspended.
11:00 AM GMT
Your views…
10:36 AM GMT
Analysis: Tense atmosphere outside court
There is a tense atmosphere outside the court after more lenient-than-expected sentences were handed down to the co-defendants of Dominique Pelicot.
Most fell short of the prosecution’s demands. Feminist activists, who had come to witness the verdict and lend their support to Gisèle Pelicot, demonstrated their disappointment and anger outside the Avignon courthouse.
“Shame on the justice system!” they chanted.
The defendants have not yet left the courtroom. Some will be released as they have deferred committal orders.
10:23 AM GMT
Dominique Pelicot cried during sentencing
Dominique Pelicot cried when the sentences were read out, hunched over his chair.
He was jailed for at least 20 years on Thursday after being found guilty of aggravated rape.
Gisèle Pelicot simply rested her head against the wall as her husband received the maximum sentence in a final act of defiance and stoicism after a four-month trial that she said had exhausted her.
But she refused to shed a tear as her abusers were all found guilty of some or all of the charges.
10:22 AM GMT
French court finds all 51 defendants guilty
If you are just joining us, a French court found all 51 defendants guilty in a drugging-and-rape case that shocked the world.
In all, the court found 47 of the defendants guilty of rape, two guilty of attempted rape and two guilty of sexual assault.
10:13 AM GMT
Dominique Pelicot’s lawyer considering appeal, says lawyer
Dominique Pelicot’s lawyer said he was “dazed” at the judges’ decision to hand him the maximum 20-year sentence – two-thirds unconditional – to consider keeping him in prison for a longer term at the end of that period if he is still deemed a security threat.
Béatrice Zavarro, Pelicot’s lawyer, said he had not yet decided whether he would appeal against this decision, which would trigger a retrial before a popular jury.
“We will make a decision within the 10-day period,” she declared, before adding that Pelicot “is somewhat dazed by the security period that has been pronounced against him”.
Beatrice Zavarro (right) speaks to the press as she leaves the courtroom in Avignon – MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP
10:12 AM GMT
Analysis: Court saw difference between Pelicot and co-defendants
The court marked a clear difference between Dominique Pelicot and his co-defendants. In all, the prosecution had requested 652 years’ imprisonment for the 51 defendants, who were ultimately sentenced to 428 years behind bars.
Pelicot got 20 years.
The second-highest sentence was 15, which was handed to Romain Vandevelde, who visited the Pelicot home six times despite being HIV-positive. Under treatment for 20 years, he had a low viral load and was therefore not contagious at the time of the events, according to his lawyer, who provided medical documentation. Prosecutors had asked for 18 years.
The three sentences of 13 years in prison were handed down to defendants who had also visited Mazan six times: Charly Arbo, Jérôme Vilela and Dominique Davies.
Of the 51 convicted, 41 were remanded in custody, three received deferred committal orders and six were allowed to walk free.
Following the verdict, the 18 defendants already in custody were kept in detention. Of the 32 who were free to appear, 23 warrants of committal were issued with immediate effect (they will be taken directly into custody). Three deferred committal orders were issued because of the state of health of these three defendants (they will be incarcerated in suitable facilities).
Six defendants were released, either because the sentence handed down covers the pre-trial detention already served, or because their sentence will be adjusted directly.
09:56 AM GMT
Pelicot can apply for conditional release but could stay in jail for longer
Dominique Pélicot’s conviction carries a two-thirds prison sentence and his situation will have to be re-examined at the end of his sentence for possible prison detention, the court said.
This means that he could apply for a conditional release once two-thirds of his sentence has been completed. However, he could be kept in prison for longer as he is deemed a threat.
Dominique Pelicot has been sentenced to 20 years
09:53 AM GMT
Sentencing ends
Romain Vandevelde is sentenced to 15 years, the most we have seen so far except Dominique Pelicot. It is less than what prosecutors had asked for.
Saifeddine Ghabi has been sentenced to three years.
Ludovick Blemeur has been sentenced to seven years.
Cedric Grassot has been sentenced to 12 years.
Cendric Venzin has been sentenced to nine years.
Hassan Ouamou, who is on the run in Morocco, has received a sentence of 12 years.
That concludes the sentencing, with defendants given 10 days to appeal.
09:52 AM GMT
Judge hands down five more sentences
Patrice Nicolle has been sentenced to eight years.
Grégory Serviol has been sentenced to eight years.
Jean-Luc LA has been sentenced to 10 years.
Quentin Hennebert has been sentenced to seven years.
Abdelali Dallal has been sentenced to eight years. He will be placed in a special jail due to medical issues, according to the judge.
09:50 AM GMT
First co-defendant to visit Pelicot home jailed for six years
Born in Carpentras, Adrien Longeron grew up in an affluent, loving family. His mother was a care worker, and his father the CEO of a public works company – a position Adrien, as site manager, was in line to inherit before his arrest.
Beneath the “ideal son-in-law” exterior, he suffered from the trauma of sexual abuse by a cousin at the age of eight.
He said he was led to believe at 18 that he had become the father of a girl who later died but it turned out he was not the genitor. This lie changed his relationship with women, he said. “I never trusted them again. I hated them.”
He went to the Pelicot home on March 14, 2014 – he was the first of the co-defendants to have done so.
He was 23 at the time, and his son was to be born 10 days later. He denied the rape allegations, claiming to have been convinced by Dominique Pelicot that it was a scenario.
“As long as the husband was present, there was no rape,” he claimed.
He has been jailed for six years.
Read more about those being sentenced here.
The 51 men accused of raping Gisele Pelicot
09:46 AM GMT
Another group handed jail sentences
Adrien Longeron has been sentenced to six years.
Jérôme Vilela has been sentenced to 13 years.
Didier Sambuchi has been sentenced to five years.
Karim Sebaoui has been sentenced 10 years.
Vincent Coullet has been sentenced to 10 years.
09:44 AM GMT
More men sentenced
Andy Rodriguez and Jean-Marc LeLoup have been sentenced to six years.
Thierry Parisis, Jean Tirano, Mohamed Rafaa, Redouane El Farihi, Mahdi Daoudi, and Ahmed Tbarik have been sentenced to eight years.
Thierry Postat has been sentenced to 12 years.
Simone Mekenese has been sentenced to nine years.
Patrick Aron has been sentenced to six years. He will be placed in a special jail due to medical issues, according to the judge.
Nizar Hamida and Joan Kawai have been sentenced to 10 years.
Husamettin Dogan has been sentenced to nine years.
Hughes Malago has been sentenced to five years.
09:37 AM GMT
Sentencing ranges from five to 13 years
Charly Arbo has been jailed for 13 years after being found guilty of aggravated rape.
So far, the sentences for those found guilty of aggravated rape have ranged from five years to 13.
Jacques Cubeau has been sentenced to five years in jail.
Boris Moulin, Nicolas Francois, Cyrille Delville and Lionel Rodriguez have been sentenced to eight years in prison.
Christian Lescole has been sentenced to nine years.
Philippe Leleu has been sentenced to five years, two of which are suspended.
Fabien Sotton has been sentenced to 11 years.
09:28 AM GMT
Another sentencing in
Joseph Cocco, who was found guilty of aggravated sexual assault, was sentenced to three years, two of which were suspended. He will walk free have already spent time in detention.
09:27 AM GMT
Man who raped own wife jailed for 12 years.
French press dubbed him Dominique Pelicot’s “disciple”.
Jean-Pierre Marechal was the only defendant not to have been accused of raping or assaulting Gisèle Pelicot.
However, he emulated his “mentor” by inviting Pelicot a dozen times to rape his own wife, also drugged with Temesta.
He has been jailed for 12 years after being found guilty of the attempted rape, aggravated rape, and drugging of his own wife.
Read more about the defendants here.
09:19 AM GMT
Dominique Pelicot jailed for 20 years
Dominique Pelicot, Gisèle’s former husband, has been jailed for 20 years.
It is the maximum possible sentence.
At the end of sentence, a fresh examination of Pelicot will be made to decide whether he should be kept longer.
He was found guilty of aggravated rape earlier this morning.
09:19 AM GMT
More verdicts come in
Saifeddine Ghabi has been acquitted of rape and attempted rape. He was found guilty of sexual assault.
Joseph Cocco was found guilty of aggravated sexual assault.
Hassan Ouamou, Redouane El Farihi, and Jean Tirano have all been found guilty of aggravated rape.
09:17 AM GMT
Five more guilty verdicts returned
Ahmed Tbarik has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
Paul-Koikoi Grovogui has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
Omar Douiri has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
Husamettin Dogan has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
Romain Vandevelde has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
09:16 AM GMT
More pictures of Gisèle Pelicot entering court
We now have more pictures of Gisèle Pelicot entering the court in Avignon.
She entered the courtroom with a smile on her face as she prepared to hear the verdicts being passed down by a panel of five French judges.
Gisele Pelicot is escorted by her lawyers as she arrives at the Avignon court
Gisèle Pelicot enters the court in Avignon with a smile on her face\ – Shutterstock
Gisèle Pelicot surrounded by a pool of journalists as she enters court – AFP
09:13 AM GMT
Five more guilty of rape
Jean-Marc LeLoup has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
Andy Rodriguez has been found guilty of aggravated rape and aggravating factors.
Vincent Coullet has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
Adrien Longeron has been found guilty of aggravated rape and possessing child abuse images.
Hughes Malago has been found guilty of aggravated rape and two aggravating factors.
09:13 AM GMT
More verdicts coming in
Jean-Luc LA has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
Fabien Sotton has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
Karim Sebaoui has been found guilty of aggravated rape and possessing child abuse images.
Redouane Azougagh has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
Joan Kawai has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
That takes the total number of defendants found guilty of raping Gisèle Pelicot to 25. A 26th man was found guilty of raping his own wife.
09:08 AM GMT
Five more verdicts come in
Cyprien Culieras has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
Mathieu Dartus has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
Quentin Hennebert has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
Cyril Beaubis has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
Philippe Leleu has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
09:07 AM GMT
Serial ‘guest’ at Pelicot household guilty of rape
Jerome Vilela, the divorced father of two, was a serial “guest” at the Pélicot household, visiting their home in Mazan six times, between March 29 and June 18, 2020.
Vilela has always maintained he was aware that Gisèle Pelicot had been drugged by her husband. He said he was “astonished” any defendants could claim they were unaware Ms Pelicot was drugged.
“Having been there six times, it’s difficult to adopt any stance other than to admit it,” he said. “This woman is brave enough for me to put my shame aside and tell the truth to help her move forward.”
He has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
Read more here.
09:06 AM GMT
More verdicts coming in
Nizar Hamida has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
Boris Moulin has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
Dominique Davies has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
Jerome Vilela has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
Didier Sambuchi has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
09:04 AM GMT
Five more guilty of rape
Simoné Mekenese has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
Thierry Parisis has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
Patrice Nicolle has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
Jacques Cubeau has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
Nicolas Francois has been found guilty of aggravated rape and possessing child abuse images.
09:00 AM GMT
Three more found guilty of rape
Christian Lescole, a 57-year-old fireman, has been found guilty of aggravated rape. Lescole was acquitted of possessing child abuse images.
Cyrille Delville, a construction worker, has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
Florian Rocca has also been found guilty of aggravated rape.
08:56 AM GMT
Man, 30, guilty of aggravated rape
Charly Arbo, 30, has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
Arbo proposed drugging and raping his own mother, the court heard during the trial.
On the first occasion he visited the Pelicot home, Charlie Arbo was aged 22 and Gisèle Pelicot was aged 64. Arbo and Dominique Pelicot were also accused of raping Gisèle Pelicot in her bed on the night of her 66th birthday.
“I never had the intention to rape,” he claimed.
Arbo had spent part of his childhood in Mazan and lived a 30-minute drive away.
Video evidence showed a whispered conversation in Gisèle Pelicot’s bedroom between the two men, in which they discuss a plan to drug and rape Arbo’s mother in the same way.
Dominique Pelicot gave Arbo three sedative tablets wrapped in silver foil. Faint traces of sedatives were found in the mother but the plan never came to fruition.
Asked in court if he was angry with his mother or hated her, Arbo said he was not. “I love my mum as any son loves their mum, nothing special
Read more here.
08:54 AM GMT
Pensioner, 63, guilty of aggravated rape of his wife
Jean-Pierre Maréchal, 63, a pensioner, has been found guilty of aggravated rape with administration of a chemical substance on his wife Cilia.
He is the only defendant not accused of raping Gisèle Pelicot. Prosecutors have asked for 17 years’ imprisonment.
08:52 AM GMT
Dominique Pelicot guilty of all charges
Presiding judge Roger Arata has just pronounced Dominique Pelicot guilty of all charges.
Pelicot is seated at the far end of the glass box, wearing his usual grey jogging jacket.
Several other defendants share this booth with him, but are little apart. Five police officers are with them.
08:44 AM GMT
Verdicts expected soon
Verdicts are expected to come in the next few minutes.
Stay tuned for live updates.
08:35 AM GMT
Defence lawyer booed as he arrives at court
A defence lawyer is booed as he arrives at court.
“Pseudo lawyer!!!” shout a few members of the Amazones d’Avignon feminist collective.
“Pseudo feminist!” retorts a woman who appears to be the partner of a defendant.
08:32 AM GMT
Pictured: The man accused of allowing 70 men to rape his wife
This is Dominique Pelicot, the 72-year-old retired electrician, for whom prosecutors have demanded the maximum possible sentence of 20 years for “aggravated rape”.
Dominique Pelicot, the 72-year-old retired electrician accused of drugging his wife and allowing dozens of men to rape her
08:26 AM GMT
Watch: Gisèle Pelicot receives heroine’s welcome
Gisèle Pelicot received a heroine’s welcome with rousing applause as she entered the Avignon courthouse for a final time after a three-and-a-half-month-long trial.
Mobbed by TV camera crews and journalists from around the world, the red-bobbed pensioner whose face has become internationally renowned was guided by a police escort to the main courtroom to hear the verdict, which is due to be given in the coming minutes.
08:11 AM GMT
Watch: Gisèle Pelicot arrives at court
Gisèle Pelicot has arrived at court as the court prepares to hand sentences to 50 men accused of accepting Dominique Pélicot’s offer to rape his wife.
She arrived to applause and cries of “Justice for Gisèle” outside the court.
Gisèle Pélicot arrives with her lawyer Stephane Babonneau (R) at the courthouse in Avignon – AFP
08:07 AM GMT
Defiant mood among women outside court
Outside the courtroom female activists gathered, bearing placards and chanting as the defendants were guided by security through the throng and into the court to hear the verdict.
The mood among the women was defiant. Posters in French, German, Portuguese and Dutch attested to the international interest, not just in the media but among women’s groups across Europe and beyond.
One protester in a yellow coat had pinned a notice to her back which read: “Mon corps est à moi. Homme, tu ne me violes pas.”
This translates to: “My body is mine. Men, you do not rape me.”
08:00 AM GMT
‘Mr Everyman’: The 50 men accused of raping Gisèle Pélicot
The French media have dubbed them “Monsieur Tout-le-monde” — Mr Average Joe.
They are the 51 men of all ages, walks of life and origins hauled to the Vaucluse criminal court of Avignon, southern France, to face their alleged victim: Gisèle Pelicot.
All but one are charged with the aggravated rape, attempted rape or sexual assault of the 72-year-old woman drugged by her husband.
They are aged 27 to 74. Just over two-thirds have children. Three-quarters were employed in jobs ranging from lorry drivers to carpenters, a prison guard, a nurse, an IT expert working for a bank, a local journalist.
Around 40 per cent had criminal records, several for domestic abuse and two for rape. A third suffered from alcoholism or drugs. Around a dozen reported being sexually abused as children. Others came from stable, loving homes.
“The profile of the rapist does not exist,” said Antoine Camus, one of Ms Pelicot’s two lawyers, in his closing statement.
These are the stories of all the “average Joes”.
Read the full story here.
The 51 men accused of sexual assault or rape of Ms Gisele Pelicot
07:52 AM GMT
Defendant bows his head as he arrives at courthouse
One of the defendants bowed his head as he arrived at the Avignon courthouse on Thursday morning.
Other defendants, including Dominique Pelicot, were brought to court in prison vans whose sirens sounded across the mediaeval city.
The court is due to hand sentences to 50 men in addition to Pelicot.
One of the defendant arrives at the courthouse in Avignon – AFP
07:39 AM GMT
Gisèle Pelicot’s children arrive at court
Caroline Darian, David and Florian, the children of Gisèle Pelicot, have arrived at court ahead of today’s verdict.
Ms Darian, her pen name, clashed repeatedly with her father in court, accusing him of drugging and abusing her.
Photos were found on Dominque Pelicot’s hard drive of her asleep in her mother’s underwear. He denied this.
Caroline Darian, David and Florian – Gisèle Pelicot – have stood by their mother throughout the trial – REUTERS
07:32 AM GMT
How Gisèle Pelicot became a feminist icon
With her instantly recognisable red bob, Gisèle Pelicot smiles beside a message graffitied on a wall in large capital letters: “Justice for Gisèle, justice for all women!”
The photograph perfectly captures how the grandmother of seven has embraced her role as a national and international feminist icon.
Since September, the 71-year old has often walked past these words on a wall in Avignon, southern France on the way to the trial of her husband and 50 other men of all ages and walks of life accused of raping her as she lay drugged on her bed in her Provence home.
Another wall opposite the entrance to the courthouse has been daubed: “Gisèle, women thank you.” On it has been scribbled: “All our respect” and “Spain, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Brazil, England … are with you.”
She posed in front of this too.
Read the full story here.
Gisèle Pelicot waived her right to anonymity at the start of the trial – REUTERS
07:24 AM GMT
Chants of ‘justice for Gisèle’ outside court
Supporters of Gisèle Pelicot have just started chanting “justice for Gisèle” outside of the court in Avignon, southern France.
Hundreds of journalists are queuing outside of the court as demonstrators gather ahead of today’s verdict.
This is the queue to get into the courthouse for the Verdict of the alleged mass rape of Gisèle Pelicot – Henry Samuel for The Telegraph
07:20 AM GMT
In pictures: Shows of support ahead of verdict
Members of the feminist collective “Les Amazones Avignon” post a message of support for Gisèle Pelicot on Wednesday evening ahead of today’s verdict.
A message reads “Shame has changed side, what about justice ?” – AP
Members of the feminist collective “Les Amazones Avignon” post a message of support for Gisele Pelicot reading “In France in 2024, 94 percent of the rapist are acquitted” – AP
07:13 AM GMT
Heavy police presence outside Avignon court
There is a heavy police presence outside the Avignon court where almost 200 journalists, almost half foreign, have been queuing from dawn ahead of the verdict.
A lone feminist campaigner is waving a placard with the words: “Christmas in jail, Easter behind bars” for Doninique Pélicot and the 50 other accused. A second joined her with another placard that reads: “Thank you for your bravery Gisele Pelicot.”
On the other side is the message: “So that shame changes sides” – a phrase used by Ms Pelicot in court to justify an open-door trial.
Busloads more protesters are expected later on after the verdict.
07:08 AM GMT
Welcome to our live coverage
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage as judges in France deliver verdicts in the Gisele Pelicot rape trial.
We’ll be bringing you live updates from the court throughout the day.
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