Fri Dec 20 16:28:29 UTC 2024: ## French Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Orchestrating Decade-Long Rape of Wife; Investigation into Past Crimes Launched
**PARIS, FRANCE** – Dominique Pelicot, 72, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the rape and drugging of his ex-wife, Gisele Pelicot, over a decade-long period from 2011 to 2020. The sentence, the maximum allowed under French law, concludes France’s largest-ever rape trial involving a single victim. A total of 51 men have been convicted of various offenses against Gisele Pelicot, ranging from rape and attempted rape to sexual assault, based on videos her husband filmed and later discovered by police.
The trial revealed a horrifying scheme in which Dominique Pelicot systematically drugged his wife and recruited men through an online chat site to rape her while she was unconscious. He filmed these assaults, remaining completely unaware that this was happening and initially believing she suffered from a medical condition. The victim only learned of the assaults upon her husband’s arrest for a separate incident of upskirting.
Police believe at least 72 men participated in the assaults; 20 more remain unidentified. The convicted men, who hailed from various professions and backgrounds, leading to their nickname “Mr. Everyman,” received sentences ranging widely, though generally lower than the prosecutor’s requests of 10-18 years.
The shocking case has led investigators to reopen two cold cases: the 1991 rape and murder of a Parisian estate agent and a 1999 attempted rape. Dominique Pelicot is now formally under investigation for these crimes. His lawyers have yet to announce whether he will appeal his 20-year sentence.
First Piper 