Rapes of Gisèle Pelicot

Over a period of nine years, from July 2011 to October 2020, Dominique Pelicot, a man from Mazan in south-eastern France, repeatedly drugged and raped his wife, Gisèle Pelicot, and invited male strangers to rape her while she was unconscious. Gisèle, who was unaware of the abuse being perpetrated against her, was raped at least 92 times by no less than 72 men while her husband filmed and photographed them. The crimes were discovered in September 2020 after Dominique was arrested for taking upskirt photographs of women in a supermarket; the ensuing police investigation uncovered thousands of images on his computer equipment of men raping his wife.
The trial of Dominique and 50 other men accused of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault began in Avignon on 2 September 2024, and concluded on 16 December, with verdicts delivered on 19 December. All were convicted, with Dominique receiving the maximum 20-year prison term. Dominique was also found guilty of taking indecent images of his daughter and two daughters-in-law, and the rape of the wife of co-defendant Jean-Pierre Maréchal, who was charged with drugging and raping his own wife, and not Gisèle.
Gisèle's decision to waive her right to anonymity and insistence on a public trial attracted worldwide media attention and admiration. The trial drew attention to drug-facilitated sexual assault and issues around consent.
Gisèle and Dominique Pelicot were both born in 1952. Gisèle was born in the city of Villingen in West Germany to a French family. Her father was in the military and, despite losing her mother at the age of nine, she described a happy childhood.
Whereas Gisèle came from a privileged background and felt loved by her family, Dominique grew up in a dysfunctional environment. He said his father was brutal and abusive to his mother, and raped his adopted sister. He also said that he was raped in a hospital when he was 9-year old and later witnessed a gang rape as a teenager. Dominique had to stop going to school after two years of secondary education to start an apprenticeship as an electrician; he started working aged 13, and had to give 80% of his wages to his father.
Gisèle and Dominique met in 1971, when both were 18-year old. They married in April 1973. Gisèle worked in administration at the state electricity company, while Dominique worked as an electrician and an estate agent and set up a number of businesses which ultimately failed. The couple lived in the Paris area and had three children.
Their marriage experienced a crisis in the mid-1980s when Gisèle had a three-year affair with a colleague. Dominique then had an affair with another woman and the couple separated. After a few months, they reconciled and resumed their life together. In 2001, the Pelicots divorced for financial reasons while continuing to live together; they remarried in 2007 under a more beneficial regime. At the time the rape case was uncovered, the Pelicots were considered a happy and close-knit couple. To people who knew them, Gisèle said in court, they and their children were a "perfect family".
Gisèle was unaware that her husband had been caught upskirting women near Paris in 2010 and fined €100. In 2013 the couple retired to Mazan, Vaucluse, a small town north-east of Avignon, in south-eastern France. Gisèle joined a choir and her husband took up sport and cycling. They were visited by their children and grandchildren for holidays.
As he approached retirement, Dominique spent a lot of time on the internet, looking for sexual material. Around 2010 or 2011, an internet user sent Dominique photos of his wife whom he sedated, and instructed him on how he could do the same to his own partner. After hesitating for a short while, Dominique decided to follow suit.
Dominique's abuse of his wife started after she was prescribed lorazepam (Temesta), an anxiolytic drug, which caused her to be drowsy. He took advantage of this by secretly adding Temesta to his wife's food and drinks, causing her to lose consciousness. He obtained additional Temesta from his own doctor; he had been prescribed 450 pills in one year alone.
While Gisèle was unconscious, Dominique committed sexual acts, such as anal sex, which his wife had not wished to participate in. He would film and photograph the abuse, sometimes committed after he had taken Viagra, and share the videos and pictures online. He started soliticing men to rape his wife on a forum called à son insu ('without her knowledge', lit. 'with her unknowing'), hosted on Coco, an online chat with no moderation. This website, which moved its domain registration from France to Guernsey after Dominique's arrest and was eventually shut down in June 2024, was cited in more than 23,000 reports of criminal activity since its founding in 2003. Dominique claimed on the forum that he and his wife shared a fetish for men having sex with her while she was asleep, and did not state outright that he drugged and abused her without her knowledge. Dominique used the chatroom to invite other men to rape his wife. He would select his co-perpetrators by communicating with them first on Coco's private messaging system, then on Skype where he detailed how they would proceed. Skype messages were found in which he boasted of drugging his wife. No money changed hands. The men were given strict instructions, for example, to avoid smelling of fragrance or cigarette smoke, in case it alerted Gisèle to their presence.
The first documented rape committed by Dominique with another man occurred on July 23, 2011 at the Pélicots' home in Villiers-sur-Marne, near Paris. The co-perpetrator of that abuse was never identified. The men were not required to use condoms, and Gisèle was found to have four sexually transmitted infections after the abuse came to light. One rapist was HIV-positive when he abused Gisèle; however, he was being treated and had an undetectable viral load, so he did not expose her to the virus. By the time the Pelicots retired and settled in Mazan, Dominique had perfected his modus operandi: he kept his tranquilisers in a shoebox in their garage, even switching brands because the first one tasted "too salty" to be added to Gisèle's food and drink without her noticing it.
Dominique also communicated online with men who said they were drugging and abusing their own partners. He discussed visiting them to participate in their crimes, though this did not materialize. Several of these men could be identified and charged in separate cases. Dominique did, however, convince another man, Jean-Pierre Maréchal, to replicate his pattern by sedating and raping his own wife. Maréchal never went to Mazan, but instead invited Dominique at his home in Drôme. Dominique travelled there a dozen times between 2015 and 2020 to rape Maréchal's wife. On several occasions, he gave Maréchal sedatives for his next visit. Half of their attempts were unsuccessful, though, because Maréchal had miscalculated the doses. The media later called Maréchal Pelicot's "disciple", or "clone".
The abuse took a significant toll on Gisèle's health. She lost weight and her hair started to fall out. She experienced memory loss and at times spoke incoherently, to the extent that she worried that she might have Alzheimer's disease or a brain tumour. She only felt better when she was away from Mazan, which never raised her suspicions. She visited a number of doctors, but was always accompanied by her husband, who blamed her symptoms on exhaustion caused by looking after their grandchildren. None of the doctors suspected that she was being drugged.
Psychiatrists who later examined Dominique diagnosed him as suffering from a wide range of sexual and emotional disorders, that included antisocial personality disorder with complete lack of empathy, egomania and several paraphilias among which sadism, exhibitionism, "obsessive fantasies" akin to necrophilia and an "abnormal sexual deviancy" combining candaulism, voyeurism and somnophilia. A psychologist said that Dominique had trouble accepting the harm he had done, instead complaining that the trial had "destroyed his life", and that if he hadn't been arrested, he "would still be happy, and she too – everything would have continued the same way."
Dominique was arrested on 12 September 2020 after he had been apprehended by a security guard for upskirting women using his mobile phone at an E.Leclerc supermarket in Carpentras, near Mazan. One of the policemen had the idea to check the Skype application on Dominique's phone to see whether he had sent the images to someone else: he immediately found a conversation between Pelicot and one "Rasmus" (Maréchal's online alias) that alluded to a woman being drugged with anxyolitics. Dominique was released on bail pending investigation of his two mobile phones, laptop, and other digital equipment that had been seized at his home.
Even after his first arrest, Dominique continued to invite men to rape his wife. The last rape occurred on October 22, 2020: the man, whose alias was "le motard" ("the biker"), could not be identified.
On a USB stick connected to Dominique's computer, investigators found a folder called "abuses" containing more than 20,000 images and videos of his unconscious wife being raped. The videos had been meticulously filed with explicit titles and the names of the men.
The investigators later identified 92 separate incidents of rape committed on Gisèle by 72 different men between July 2011 and October 2020. It took the police two years to identify and locate 50 of the perpetrators; the rest remain unidentified. The men were aged between 21 and 68 at the time of the rapes.
Images were also found on Dominique's computer of his daughters-in-law in the shower, which had been taken with a hidden camera, and of his semi-naked daughter Caroline unconscious on a bed as if she had been drugged.
Dominique was re-arrested on 2 November 2020 and charged with aggravated rape, drugging, and other sexual offences. He was also accused of violating the privacy of his wife, daughter, and two daughters-in-law by covertly taking and disseminating intimate images of them. He immediately admitted his guilt.
On the same day, Gisèle was asked to attend a separate interview by the police. Questioned about her sex life, she said she had never taken part in wife swapping or threesomes. She was shown a photograph, but did not recognise the unconscious woman or the man raping her. It was only when shown further images that she recognised herself. She later testified that she had asked the police officer to stop showing her the images: "It was unbearable. I was inert, in my bed, and a man was raping me. My world fell apart."
On 19 June 2023, Gwenola Journot, an investigating judge from the Avignon Judicial Court, published a 370-page report indicting 51 men for rape. A 52nd suspect died of cancer before being arrested. The accused, who faced prison sentences of up to 20 years if found guilty, ranged in age from 25 to 72, of various ethnicities, and came from numerous walks of life – firefighter, IT worker, journalist, nurse, plumber, prison guard, soldier, and truck driver, with 41 of them being from Vaucluse. Many had partners and children. Most were charged with one count of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault but a few were charged with multiple offences, including in several case six counts of rape. One man was charged, not with the rape of Gisèle, but with drugging and raping his own wife with Dominique's participation. While 49 were charged with rape, one of the accused was charged with attempted rape and one with sexual assault. A total of 23 of the accused had previous convictions, including six for domestic violence and two for sexual violence. Some of the accused admitted their guilt, whilst others claimed that the acts were consensual, with Gisèle pretending to be asleep or agreeing to be drugged, or that her husband's consent was sufficient. Five of the men were also charged with possessing images of child sexual abuse. Twelve of the accused appealed their indictment but the Court of Appeal in Nîmes rejected the appeal on 5 October 2023.
The trial, heard by a panel of five judges led by presiding judge Roger Arata, began at the Judicial Court in Avignon on 2 September 2024 and was expected to last until 20 December 2024. At the request of Gisèle, the proceedings were held in public. Eighteen of the accused were detained, while 32 were attending the trial as free men and one was being judged in absentia. The courtroom was specially adapted to accommodate the large number of defendants and about sixty lawyers, with a separate transmission room for the press and public.
Gisèle, who was supported in court by her three children and represented by lawyers Stéphane Babonneau and Antoine Camus, testified during the first week of the trial. She explained that her world had fallen apart when the police had told her in November 2020 that she had been drugged and raped. "I was sacrificed on the altar of vice," she said. Her husband affirmed to the court that he was guilty of drugging and raping her.
On 10 September 2024, the court heard from Jean-Pierre Maréchal, the only one of the defendants who was not accused of raping or assaulting Gisèle. He admitted to have followed Dominique's instructions on how to drug and rape his own wife. Maréchal's wife did not file a complaint against him, to protect their children.
Dominique gave evidence in court for the first time on 17 September. He admitted his guilt, as he had done since his arrest in November 2020, saying "I am a rapist like the others in this room", insisting that all accused knew what they were doing. He asked his family for forgiveness. He recounted a traumatic childhood and told how he was raped by a male nurse when he was nine years old. He said he had always loved his wife and had felt suicidal when he discovered she had been having an affair. However, he said that he had not abused his wife out of revenge for her past infidelity, that he had never hated her and that he still loved her "immensely". Asked why he had not stopped drugging and abusing his wife when she developed health problems caused by the drugs, he replied that his addiction had been too strong. Gisèle was given a chance to respond to her husband's evidence and said: "It is difficult for me to listen to this. For 50 years, I lived with a man who I would've never imagined could be capable of this. I trusted him completely."
The following day, Gisèle was questioned by defence lawyers, who had selected a small number of images, from the thousands on her husband's computer, that appeared to show her conscious, sometimes with a sex toy. One lawyer asked her if she was an exhibitionist. Gisèle said that she found the lawyers' questions insulting, adding: "And I understand why rape victims don't press charges."
The cross examination of the remaining defendants lasted from 19 September to 19 November, with the court taking a week's break at the end of October. The court screened videos of an unconscious Gisèle being raped by the accused. Initially, for reasons of decency, presiding judge Arata had ruled to exclude journalists and members of the public from the screenings. Following arguments from Gisèle's legal team, the judge reversed his decision. Most of the accused denied the charge of rape, saying that they were unaware Gisèle was unconscious and unable to consent. Some claimed they thought they were taking part in a couple's sexual fantasy or that the husband's consent was sufficient; some claimed diminished responsibility.
Gisèle's three children, who were plaintiffs in the case (French: parties civiles) gave evidence on 18 November to tell of the devastation that had been wrought on their family. David spoke of a son in therapy; Florian spoke of his divorce. Caroline was convinced her father had drugged and abused her in spite of his denials, and said she felt like the forgotten victim in the case.
On 19 November, Gisèle took the stand for the last time. "This is a trial of cowardice", she said, adding that it was time to examine a macho patriarchal society that trivialised rape. Whilst admitting that it was her husband who orchestrated the abuse, she asked why not one of the accused had reported him to the police when they saw the state she was in. Defence lawyers suggested that she still felt sympathy for her husband or was under his control; one of them asked why she still used her married name after her divorce, to which she replied that her grandchildren were surnamed Pelicot and she wanted them to be proud of the name that was now known across the world, as it would be associated with her, rather than just her husband.
The prosecution delivered their closing arguments on 25–27 November. Seeking a 20-year sentence for Dominique, prosecutor Laure Chabaud said that a 20-year sentence, the maximum sentence for rape under French law, was "both a lot... and too little given the gravity of the acts that were committed and repeated". Chabaud and her fellow prosecutor sought a four-year sentence for one of the accused and sentences of between 10 and 18 years for the others. Chabaud said that such sentences would send a message of hope to all victims of sexual violence.
The closing arguments of the defence began on 27 November, with Dominique's lawyer, Béatrice Zavarro, the first to speak. She told the court that she had the utmost respect for Gisèle and her family, and asked them to remember the man who at one time had been a devoted family man. In a speech that quoted Sigmund Freud, John Betjeman and Boris Cyrulnik, she argued that childhood trauma had caused a split in Dominique's mind and caused his perversity.
Lawyers defending the other 50 accused delivered their closing arguments over the following two-and-a-half weeks. A common theme was the inability of the men to resist in the face of the manipulative behaviour of Dominique. The last lawyer to speak, Nadia El Bouroumi, argued for her clients' acquittal while acknowledging Gisèle's lack of consent, saying they had been manipulated by a monster. She said that it was difficult to speak for the accused when the victim was a feminist hero. On Monday 16 December, the final day of the trial, Dominique was given an opportunity to make a final statement. He acknowledged the courage of his former wife and asked his family for their forgiveness. The rest of the accused were also allowed to speak; some had nothing to add; some said they were not rapists as they had not intended to rape; some apologised to Gisèle.
The judges retired to chambers on the morning of 16 December 2024. Verdicts were decided by secret ballots cast by the five judges. They returned to court on the morning of 19 December to deliver the verdicts.
Dominique was found guilty of all charges and received the maximum sentence of 20 years' imprisonment, with no possibility of parole before two thirds of the sentence have been served. The remaining 50 defendants were also found guilty: two of them were found guilty of aggravated sexual assault and received sentences of three years imprisonment, two were found guilty of attempted rape with aggravating factors and received sentences of five and six years' imprisonment, while the rest were found guilty of aggravated rape and received sentences ranging from five to 15 years' imprisonment.
The following men were convicted:
Six of the men, Joseph Cocco, Jacques Cubeau, Saifeddine Ghabi, Hugues Malago, Philippe Leleu and Didier Sambuchi, benefited from probations and time served and did not return to prison. Three, Husamettin Dogan, Abdelali Dallal and Patrick Aron, received deferred warrants of detention due to their health conditions. One, Hassan Ouamou, was sentenced in absentia.
The defendants had 10 days – until 29 December – to lodge an appeal. The 17 who did so will have their appeals heard before a jury at a new trial in the Court of Appeal of Nîmes towards the end of 2025. The prosecution lodged a counter appeal, meaning the 17 appellants could see their sentences increased as well as decreased. Dominique decided not to appeal his conviction or sentence.
Gisèle's decision to waive her right to anonymity and her insistence on a public trial established her as a feminist icon and raised awareness of drug-facilitated sexual assault, rape culture, and the question of consent. Media outlets from around the world covered the trial. A group of women called Amazons of Avignon (French: Les Amazones d'Avignon) plastered walls near the court with messages of support for Gisèle and applauded her as she left court each day. Blandine Deverlanges, founder of the group, said: "She has shown such dignity and courage and humanity. It was a huge gift to [French women] that she chose to speak to the whole world in front of her rapist". The BBC included her in its 2024 list of "100 inspiring and influential women from around the world".
On 14 September 2024, feminist organisations arranged protests in 30 areas throughout France to express solidarity with Gisèle and other victims of sexual violence, with 700 demonstrators at the Place de la République in Paris and 200 at the Palais de Justice in Marseille. There were further demonstrations in support of Gisèle in Paris, Lyon and other French cities in October.
The trial raised issues around consent in French law and the need to revise the criminal code, which currently defines rape as "any act of sexual penetration committed against another person by violence, constraint, threat or surprise", with no mention of consent.
While on remand, Dominique was charged with the rape and murder of 23-year-old estate agent Sophie Narme in Paris in 1991 and with the attempted rape of a 19-year-old estate agent Estella B. in Villeparisis, Seine-et-Marne. Both women had been showing a man around an apartment when they were attacked. Charges were brought by the cold case unit at Nanterre. Dominique initially denied both crimes but admitted the attempted rape when told that his DNA matched a sample taken at the scene. The woman had been drugged with ether but had managed to fight back and escape. The DNA match had previously been noted when he was arrested for upskirting in Collégien in 2010, but at that time the police failed to pursue the matter. Dominique continued to deny the rape and murder of Sophie Narme; a DNA sample taken from the scene had been lost.
In March 2025, the Pelicots' daughter, Caroline, filed a complaint against her father for sexual abuses.
In 2022, the Pelicots' daughter, who uses the pseudonym Caroline Darian (a combination of the name of her brothers, David and Florian), published a book about the case titled Et j'ai cessé de t'appeler Papa ('And I Stopped Calling You Dad'). She also established a non-profit organisation called M'endors Pas ('Don't Sedate Me') to raise awareness of drug-facilitated sexual assault. The book was translated in English in January 2025 under the title I'll Never Call Him Dad Again. In that same month Darian recorded an interview with the BBC that was broadcast on January 11 as Pelicot Trial: the Daughter's story. She told Emma Barnett on the Today programme that she suspected her father had raped her: "I know that he drugged me, probably for sexual abuse. But I don't have any evidence".
ITN Productions and Channel 5 released a documentary on the Pelicot case titled The Pelicot Rape Case: A Town on Trial on 11 December 2024 in the UK. Caroline Darian will narrate a documentary made by France Télévisions.