In the mass rape case, 51 defendants were found guilty.

The verdict has been reached in the mass rape case in France. In the case of Gisele Pelicot, who was subjected to systematic sexual abuse by 51 men, including her ex-husband Dominique Pelicot, all 51 defendants were found guilty. Dominique Pelicot was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

ALL 51 DEFENDANTS WERE CONVICTED

After three months of hearings in Avignon, in southern France, the court found all 51 defendants guilty in the mass rape case. The five-judge panel sentenced Dominique Pelicot, who was accused of "drugging his wife and exposing her to the rapes of dozens of men and aggravated rape," to the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, as requested by the prosecutors.

The French court also found 46 of the other defendants guilty of rape, two of attempted rape, and two of sexual assault. The other 50 defendants received prison sentences ranging from 5 to 12 years.

"THE TRIAL OF COWARDICE"

In a statement made in the courtroom, Gisele Pelicot said, "For me, this is the trial of cowardice; there is no other way to describe it." She expressed that there is no excuse for the harassment she faced while she was not in a conscious state.

"BECAUSE OF YOU, THE WORLD IS NO LONGER THE SAME"

Following the announcement of the verdict, Yael Braun-Pivet, President of the French National Assembly, shared on social media, "Thank you for your courage, Gisele Pelicot. Because of you, the voices of many victims are heard today, shame is shifting sides, and taboos are being broken. Because of you, the world is no longer the same."

WHAT HAPPENED?

In the case that began last September, Dominique Pelicot was charged with organizing and participating in the mass rape of his ex-wife Gisele Pelicot with dozens of strangers he found online. Dominique Pelicot later admitted to having encouraged and organized the rapes of these men by drugging his wife, Gisele Pelicot. During the court proceedings, Gisele Pelicot refused to exercise her right to remain anonymous. Wanting the trial to be public, Pelicot stated, "I want all women who have been raped to say, 'Madam Pelicot did this, so I can too.' I no longer want them to feel ashamed." With her decision, Pelicot became a feminist icon and was included in BBC's list of 100 Women of 2024 and Financial Times' list of the 25 most influential women of the year.