Fifty men in the Gisele Pelicot rape trial have been sentenced to more than combined years, alongside her husband who was jailed for 20 years. All of the men were found guilty of at least one offence, with nearly all convicted of rape.
They were nicknamed "Mr Everyman" by the French press, and for more than a decade these men crept into Gisele Pelicot's bedroom and raped her while she lay unconscious, drugged by the man she trusted most in the world. Most lived within a mile radius of Dominique Pelicot and his wife - some were even known to Gisele. For ten years, Dominique Pelicot, 72, repeatedly sedated his wife and invited strangers to abuse her, advertising on a French swinging website. Some denied the rape charges, claiming they believed Ms Pelicot had agreed to be drugged and was a willing participant in a sex game between the couple.
But all of the men were found guilty of at least one offence, with nearly all convicted of rape, after a trial that shocked France and made headlines around the world. Gisele insisted it be held in public , telling the court: "It is not for us to be ashamed, but for those men.
Dominique has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, with his daughter telling him during the trial he will "die alone like a dog in jail". The other 50 men sentenced to more than collective years in prison were given sentences generally lower than what the prosecution had asked for. The rest have 10 days to appeal. These are the men convicted for the rape, or assault, of Gisele Pelicot. French law prevents the publication of their full names until the appeals timeline has lapsed.
Cyprien C , a year-old lorry driver, was found guilty of raping Gisele once at her home in He was sentenced to six years in prison. Jerome V , a year-old who works in a food shop, was found guilty of raping Gisele six times at her home in He was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Abdelali D , a year-old former cook, was found guilty of raping Gisele twice at her home in He was sentenced to eight years in prison.
