For over three months, people queued every day outside a French court in Avignon to attend the landmark trial taking place inside.
Yesterday, Dominique Pelicot was found guilty of repeatedly drugging and raping his now ex-wife, Gisèle Pelicot, for almost a decade, and of arranging for dozens of men he met online to abuse her unconscious body.
Dominique Pelicot – who admitted to the crimes – was sentenced to 20 years in prison; 50 other men tried alongside him were also convicted, with sentences ranging from three to 15 years. Only 18 of them had pleaded guilty. The others contested rape charges, arguing they thought Gisèle Pelicot had consented to the act.
The case made headlines around the world for Pelicot’s determination and her decision to open the trial to the public, which sparked a new debate on the definition of rape in French law.
