Gisèle Pelicot returns to court for an appeal hearing of one of her 51 convicted abusers. Image: Collage complied by Nomfundo Ngobese.
(The Post News)– Gisèle Pelicot (72) is set to return to court on Monday, as one of the 51 men convicted for involvement in her case has filed for an appeal. Gisèle’s ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, recruited several strangers online to abuse her sexually while she was drugged.
Dominique and 50 others were convicted in the initial trial, which concluded in December 2024. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, while his co-accused received sentences ranging from three to 15 years.
Gisèle became a global icon during the nearly four-month trial after she refused to give up her right to privacy and bravely sat through sessions that graphically recapped her trauma.
Dogan Appeals Conviction
Gisèle returns to court for Husamettin Dogan’s appeal. The 44-year-old construction worker received a nine-year jail term for aggravated rape. Dogan’s latest trial, which is anticipated to last four days, commences on Monday afternoon in the southern city of Nimes, France.
On Wednesday morning, Gisèle is scheduled to take a stand. According to one of Gisèle’s attorneys, Antoine Camus, although Gisèle would have been content to avoid this experience once more, she is partaking to demonstrate that “rape is rape” and there is no such thing as “small rape.”
Out of 16 men who had also vowed to appeal, Dogan is the only one who is going through with it. During the first trial, Dogan declared that he is not a rapist. He expressed that the case was taking a toll on him, saying that Dominique was her husband, and he did not think that a man could impose such ill treatment on his wife.
In contrast to the initial trial, Dogan’s appeal will be heard by a jury consisting of nine members of the public. If found guilty, the jury will determine his prison sentence on Thursday. Moreover, losing the appeal may see him getting a harsher sentence .
Dominique Pelicot’s Role in Gisèle’s Abuse
For over ten years, Gisèle was excessively drugged by Dominique and sexually assaulted and raped by strangers as she was unconscious. Dominique recorded the assaults on Gisèle and carefully classified them on a hard disk. Thus, the authorities were able to identify and locate the majority of the participants; however, the investigators failed to identify about 20 participants, who remain at large.
Meanwhile, Dominique’s lawyer reportedly said that her client has not challenged his sentence and has no plans of doing so. Dominique had entered a guilty plea, admitting that he and the 50 other men were rapists. On the second day of Dogan’s appeal, Dominique, who remains in solitary confinement, will be transported to court to testify under cross-examination.
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