Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info. A mum who was reportedly raped by multiple strangers, after being drugged by her own husband, today faced them all in a packed courtroom. Gisele Pelicot, a year-old French woman, waived her legal right to anonymity on Monday at the opening of the trial of Dominique Pelicot, 71, and 51 other men.
All are accused of aggravated rape in a trial at the Vaucluse Criminal Court, in Avignon, which is due to last for four months. Twenty of them, including Pelicot, are in custody, while the others remain on bail.
Join the Daily Record's WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. Asked to confirm his name and address at the start of proceedings, Pelicot said: "My home is prison, you know it". Ms Pelicot, a mother-of-three, was supported by her adult children as she stood in the public gallery, listening to evidence. The family home, in nearby Mazan, allegedly became a crime scene over almost a decade, when streams of men were invited to attack Ms Pelicot.
Her husband is said to have used an online platform called coco. Detectives have listed a total of 92 rapes committed by 72 men, 51 of whom have been identified. In evidence from previous hearings, he said all the men who slept with his wife 'knew she was drugged' without her knowledge. Pelicot said 'all had free will' and 'could have left the premises' at any time. Presiding Judge Roger Arata announced first thing on Monday morning that Ms Pelicot would be granted her wish for 'full publicity' until the end of the trial.
Ms Pelicot's lawyer, Antoine Camus, said: "She could have opted for a closed trial, but that's what her attackers would have wanted. Despite this, it would be a 'horrible ordeal,' said Mr Camus, adding: 'For the first time, she will have to live through the rapes that she endured over ten years. The Pelicots shared a large family house and outwardly were highly respectable pensioners with family members who visited regularly. Neighbours spoke about them as 'lovely people' who held parties around their swimming pool, in a well-kept garden, according to court evidence.
