Gisèle Pelicot’s sons say father should be ‘punished’ for drugging and raping her

The sons of Gisèle Pelicot – the French woman whose husband admitted to drugging her and having dozens of men rape her over several years – testified in their father’s trial and called for him to be punished.

The trial of Dominique Pelicot, 71, Gisele’s husband, has shocked observers around the world after he said he drugged her and filmed the rapes for nearly a decade from 2011 to 2020, according to the British newspaper. The Times.

Monday 18 November Dominique and Gisele’s children; sons David and Florian; and daughter, whose pen name is Caroline Darian; all testified at the trial in Avignon, France, according to Reuters, New York Times and France 24.

“Our family has been destroyed,” David Pelicot said, according to Reuters. “I expect from this trial that … these men, and (Dominique), will be punished for the horrors they have inflicted on my mother.”

According to the magazine, David, 50, also said the family destroyed pictures of his father.

Florian Pelicot echoed his brother’s call for punishment, asking for a long sentence “so victims no longer have to be afraid to speak up,” according to Reuters.

New York Times reported that Florian also testified that the case had led to the dissolution of his own marriage.

Darian, who had previously testified earlier in the trial, said Monday that she also now believes she was drugged and abused by her father.

“The only difference between her and me is the lack of evidence regarding me,” Darian said, according to France 24. “For me, it’s an absolute tragedy.”

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A total of 51 men are accused of raping Gisele, although several are also presumed to have sexually assaulted her.

Gisèle was unaware of the alleged rapes until the police told her after they discovered thousands of photos and videos taken by her husband, who had documented the abuses after recruiting strangers via the internet, New York Times reported with reference to the investigating judge’s report.

Dominique had previously been arrested in December 2020 after allegedly filming up three women’s skirts, prosecutors said.

Gisele, 71, also addressed the court for the last time on Monday, calling it a “trial of cowardice,” according to Reuters.

“It’s time for the macho, patriarchal society that trivializes rape to change … It’s time for us to change the way we look at rape,” Gisele said.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.