Dozens of men are found guilty of raping a woman in France who was drugged to sleep

AVIGNON, France — A French panel of judges found dozens of men guilty of raping a woman whose then-husband had drugged her unconscious over the course of a decade. The court sentenced the husband to a maximum 20 years of imprisonment.

The five-judge panel first ruled that the ex-husband of Gisèle Pelicot was guilty of aggravated rapes and all other charges against him.

“You are therefore declared guilty of aggravated rape on the person of Mme. Gisèle Pelicot,” said Roger Arata the lead judge in the court, addressing Dominique Pelicot and the first group of men found guilty. A total of 51 men, including Dominique Pelicot, stood trial.

At age 72, Dominique Pelicot could spend the rest of his life in prison.

Dominique Pelicot and 49 other men were tried for aggravated rape and attempted rape. Prosecutors also requested a four-year prison term for another defendant, who was tried for aggravated sexual assault.

“She’s a hero” added Blandine Deverlanges, head of the feminist group Les Amazones d’Avignon (Amazons of Avignon). “A kind of hero because she refused to be silenced. And she wanted her story to be public and she gave us huge present for us women because she gave us her story so now it’s our story.

The court decision ends a 15-week trial in this southern French city that included detailed descriptions of systematic drugging and sexual abuse, triggering a national debate about the treatment of women in society.

Although the crimes occurred over and over behind closed doors — unknown even to the victim at the time — the hearings and verdict took place in front of the world’s news media, as she insisted on a public trial, turning her into a hero for supporters who celebrated her bravery.

She was fighting for “all those people around the world, women and men, who are victims of sexual violence,” she said.

“This trial has already changed things because lots of women are now holding open trials,” Valentine Rioufol, a feminist from Avignon, said Thursday after the verdicts were read out. “Pelicot set a huge example. Women will have open rape trials now. They are no longer scared to do it. The shame has changed sides.”

During the trial, her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, admitted to the charges of rape and testified he had used tranquilizers hidden in her food and drink to send her into deep enough sleep that she wouldn’t be stirred awake.

But many of the accused did not confess, despite the fact that videos of their acts were shown on large screens in the courtroom. Police had found thousands of photos and videos on the husband’s computer drives that provided prosecutors evidence of the abuse. Gisèle Pelicot had insisted such evidence be shown in court.

She became something of a hero for crowds of mostly women who gathered outside the court.

“She gave us an important gift by demanding that this trial be open for the world to see. So we have to be here to support her,” said supporter Chantal Cremont.

There have been other shows of support for the victim, such as a recent demonstration in Paris.

“We’re very proud of her because she’s very strong and what she did — she’s really brave,” said Amélie Chauveau, who attended the Paris rally in November.

Many French men, meanwhile, have expressed shame. Some used the hashtag #NotAllMen in social media posts distancing themselves from the horrible acts. That worries journalist Victoire Tuaillon, who hosts a podcast that explores male violence.

“Most think that these men are kind of monsters, totally different from them, you know? They think that, the case doesn’t really concern them because they think that, I would never do that,” Tuaillon told NPR.

Mathieu Palain, who has written books on male violence against women, noted that the case exposed how ordinary the perpetrators could be.

“This frightening trial shows us that these men are not depraved criminals but actually regular guys who have wives and kids and jobs — a baker, a firefighter. They’re our brothers, our fathers. And that’s shocking,” Palain said. “It would be easier to say these violent men have nothing to do with us.”