Mass rape survivor Gisèle Pélicot, aged 72, is set to appear in court again this week following an appeal by one of the individuals convicted of assaulting her.
Husamettin Dogan, 44, received a nine-year prison sentence for his involvement in the assault on Pélicot. During the initial trial last year, Dogan claimed that he considered the incident to be a game.
The accused, originally from Turkey, initiated contact with Gisèle’s husband, Dominique Pélicot, 71, known as The Beast of Avignon, in an online chatroom. Dominique informed Dogan that his wife was seeking an “Arab” partner. Subsequently, Dogan drove to the Pélicot residence under the pretense of meeting Gisèle’s request, where he committed the assault while she was unconscious.
Dogan described Gisèle as appearing lifeless, believing it to be part of a role-playing scenario. He adamantly denied being a rapist during the first trial, stating that the accusation was too burdensome for him. His legal representative refrained from commenting ahead of the upcoming appeal hearing.
The distressing rape case involved a total of 51 perpetrators, including a variety of professionals such as a soldier, firefighter, and nurse. Gisèle was subjected to multiple assaults between 2011 and 2020, orchestrated by her husband, who drugged her and allowed strangers to violate her on numerous occasions.
The mother-of-three was repeatedly abused while sedated at their residence in Mazan, located in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, France.
Dominique Pélicot, Gisèle’s former spouse of five decades, received a 20-year prison term for orchestrating a heinous campaign of abuse against his wife. He operated an online chatroom named ‘Without her knowledge,’ where he advertised for men to engage in deplorable acts of sexual violence on his unsuspecting wife.
Despite some of the accused being portrayed as upstanding individuals in court, with no apparent psychological disorders or deficiencies, a few had prior convictions related to sexual misconduct, child exploitation, and domestic abuse. The perpetrators, mostly ordinary men, committed abhorrent acts of sexual assault against an unwilling victim.
A total of 50 accomplices were convicted on charges ranging from aggravated rape to sexual assault, with sentences varying between 13 to five years (including two suspended sentences) in prison. The defendants hailed from diverse backgrounds, including civil servants, healthcare professionals, military personnel, law enforcement officers, transportation workers, media personnel, entertainment industry professionals, and local government officials.
The youngest offender, named Joan Kawai, aged 22 at the time, raped Gisèle during two separate occasions in 2019 and 2020. Joan, currently 26 and a soldier in the French military, acknowledged his actions, admitting he was unaware of the concept of consent until his incarceration. He was found guilty of aggravated rape and received a 10-year sentence.
Another perpetrator, Charly Arbo, a 30-year-old vineyard worker, assaulted Gisèle on six occasions over a span of four years, starting when he was 22. Incriminating video footage captured Arbo discussing plans with Pélicot to drug and assault his mother in a similar manner. Although both individuals confirmed the conversation, they denied carrying out the assault on Arbo’s mother. Charly was convicted of aggravated rape and sentenced to 13 years.
In a separate instance, Adrien Longeron, a former construction site manager with a history of raping three ex-partners, faced accusations of assaulting Gisèle in March 2014. The 23-year-old at the time, belonging to a more affluent background compared to other offenders, professed a deep-seated resentment toward women. Longeron was found guilty of aggravated rape and possession of child abuse materials, receiving a six-year prison term.
Hugues Malago, a 39-year-old tiler and father-of-two, denied awareness of Gisèle’s drugged state when he raped her shortly before his then-girlfriend’s birthday in October 2019. Malago’s ex, Emilie O, reported a similar encounter where she suspected he had drugged and assaulted her. Despite her uncertainty about being raped, Emilie filed a police report that was dismissed due to insufficient evidence. Malago was convicted of attempted rape and other offenses, resulting in a five-year sentence.
Cyrille Delville, a butcher-in-training at 54, admitted to acting out of sexual frustration and seeking solace through the online chatroom. Expressing remorse for his actions, Delville was found guilty of aggravated rape and received an eight-year sentence.
Christian Lescole, a 56-year-old volunteer firefighter with a lengthy career in lifesaving endeavors, refuted accusations of rape