A 71-year-old man is on trial in France, accused of drugging his wife and inviting dozens of strangers to rape her at his home over nearly a decade, in a case that has shocked the country.
The husband, Dominique Pelicot, offered sex to his wife on a website and filmed the abuse, prosecutors said. Fifty other men accused of raping his wife when she was unconscious from drugs are also on trial.
Each of them could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
Due to drugs, Pelicot’s wife was completely unaware of the rapes, which took place at their home in the southern French town of Mazan, until police told her about them four years ago, her lawyers said.
“She knew nothing of what was inflicted on her. She had no memory of the rapes she suffered,” lawyer Antoine Camus told France Bleu radio.
French media including Le Monde said police found thousands of photos and videos of Pelicot abusing his wife when investigating him after several women said he was using his phone to film up their skirts in a supermarket.
The men were of all ages and social classes, French media reported, adding that some admitted to being guilty while others said they thought their wife was pretending to be asleep.
The trial, which will include videos of the rapes, will be a “terrible ordeal” for her, Camus said.
The trial began on Monday (2) and is expected to last until December and will not be held in secret as is common in cases of violent sexual crimes.
Pelicot’s wife, now 72, said she wanted the event to be publicly reported to raise awareness about sexual abuse and drug-induced blackouts, her lawyers said.
Lawyer Stephane Babonneau, who also represents the victim, told French media that she wanted to show “that shame must change sides”.
Beatrice Zavarro, Dominique Pelicot’s lawyer, told French media that he admits to his crimes.
This content was originally published in Frenchman who allegedly drugged his wife for gang rape admits guilt on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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