Between 2011 and 2020, Gisele Pelicot endured unimaginable horror, systematically drugged and sexually assaulted by numerous men orchestrated by her former husband, Dominique Pelicot, in a shocking and devastating case of prolonged exploitation and abuse.
While taking the stand on Tuesday, the 71-year-old Dominique said, "I am a rapist, like others in this room."
Along with Dominique, 50 other men were accused of raping Gisele. Dominique had been allegedly inviting these men, most of them he met online, to rape his ex-wife.
"I am guilty of what I did- I say to my wife, my children, my grandchildren...I regret what I've done and I ask for forgiveness, even if it's unforgivable...She did not deserve this," said Dominique.
Dominique had been administering anti-anxiety drugs to Gisele, due to which she was unconscious when he and other men raped her. Dominique also admitted that those men knew that she was unconscious.
The mass lengthy trial began on September 2. The proceedings of the case were halted for a few days due to Dominique's health issues.
How it all came into light
The abuse came to light by chance, when he was caught by a police officer filming up women's skirts at a local supermarket.
During the investigation into his background, police had access to his phone and computer, where they discovered photos and videos of the abuse.
In 2020, a French police officer disclosed to Gisele that her husband had been secretly drugging her for 10 years. Also, Gisele began to suspect something was amiss after experiencing strange memory lapses for years.
Upon hearing the news, she was devastated as Dominique always seemed like a loving husband.
Dominique filmed all the horrific acts and had it stored on his personal computer. Police had recovered the detailed records of the abuse. Most of the alleged assaults occurred at the couple's home in Mazan in southern France.
"For me, it's difficult to listen to Mr Pelicot because, in 50 years, I never imagined for a second that he could rape. It's difficult for me to hear this today...the acts of violence and barbarity...I had full trust in that man," Gisele had told the court.
Both together had three children.
Dominique's childhood trauma
While describing his childhood, Dominique had told the court that he was sexually abused at a young age. At the age of nine, he was raped by a nurse when he was in a hospital for a head injury.
Dominique described his parents as always subjected to violent sex. At the age of 14, he was forced to witness and take part in a group rape of a woman.
His testimony will be decisive for the 50 other men aged 26 and 74, who are on trial. Though some of the men admitted that he told them he was drugging his wife, others claimed they thought it was part of a swinger couple's fantasy.
France witnessed widespread protests demanding an end to rape and in support of Gisele.