France Mass Rape Trial: Pelicot Gets 20-Year Sentence

Facts

• A French court on Thursday sentenced Dominique Pelicot, 72, to 20 years in prison for drugging and orchestrating the rape of his now ex-wife Gisèle Pelicot over nearly a decade.^[1][2]
• While Pelicot, who had already confessed to the crimes, was given the maximum prison sentence allowed under French law, his 50 co-defendants were all convicted — receiving jail terms ranging from three to 15 years — with two co-defendants having their prison terms suspended.^[3]
• Gisèle Pelicot, 72, waived her right to anonymity and demanded an open trial, which lasted over three months and featured public testimony. She also insisted that video evidence of the assaults be shown in court.^[4][5]
• The case came to light in September 2020 when police caught Dominique filming up women's skirts, leading to the discovery of 20K photos and videos documenting the assaults.^[2][6][7]
• Police found evidence that Dominique had been drugging his wife with tranquilizers hidden in food and drink. He didn't dispute the charges and asked his wife, daughter, and grandchildren for forgiveness.^[8]
• The defendants, aged 26 to 74, represented a cross-section of French society, including truck drivers, journalists, and soldiers. Some of the accused men admitted their guilt, while others contested the charges.^[9][10]

Sources: ^[1]France 24, ^[2]FOX News, ^[3]Le Monde, ^[4]NBC, ^[5]CBS, ^[6]Washington Post (a), ^[7]ABC News, ^[8]BBC News, ^[9]The Guardian and ^[10]Washington Post (b).

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by The Standard, BBC News and The Guardian. Gisèle's case is a turning point in the fight against rape culture. We should all be saluting her courage in pushing for a public trial, which has raised public awareness of these crimes and shifted shame from victims to perpetrators. These convictions and sentences should lead to more robust rape laws and an overhaul of France's sexist social norms.
• Narrative B, as provided by France 24. These prison sentences were far too lenient and a slap in the face to sexual assault survivors who often face unsurmountable challenges when seeking justice. The court missed an opportunity to deliver exemplary punishment that would set a stronger deterrent for society against sexual violence.
• Narrative C, as provided by Le Monde and The Telegraph. While it may be difficult to find nuance in such a case, some of Dominique's co-defendants may have been victims of his manipulation, believing they were participating in consensual acts. Some had no memory of the events and may have been drugged themselves. The defendant's identities should not have been public until they were found guilty.
• Narrative D, as provided by The Guardian and Frontline. Dominique Pelicot was a self-centered man who suffered sexual assault at age nine at the hands of a male nurse, which could have caused a split in his psyche and made voyeurism part of his psychosexual dynamic. France must look inward and confront the deeper systemic changes required to ensure that a child doesn't grow up to become a monster like him.