The man who drugged his wife in a case of multiple rapes in France said: He will die alone

The tension in the French rape case came to light on Wednesday when Dominique Pelicot’s daughter Caroline shouted at her father across the court saying “he will die alone like a dog”.

Caroline Darian, 45, has repeatedly said that her father drugged her and abused her after nude photos of her sleeping on his laptop were found.

He denied abusing her but admitted his wife Gisèle took drugs for ten years and recruited men online to rape her at their home while she was unconscious.

Dominique Pelicot and 50 other men have been on trial since September, and a verdict is expected on December 20.

During a sad day at the Avignon court, Gisèle Pelicot’s lawyers gave their closing arguments, explaining the historic nature of the case and honoring her courage to waive her anonymity to reveal the rape trial.

In her statement to the court, Caroline spoke of her sadness at her father’s continued lies.

Earlier this week, in a voice full of bitterness, he told the court that his life “stopped” when the police showed him his father’s laptop photos for the first time in 2020.

On Wednesday, Dominique Pelicot was given the opportunity to speak with her daughter during her last participation in the case.

The main accused said that he wished very much that he had the support of Caroline.

“Some may laugh, but it is my daughter that I wish to look at. It hurts to see him like this,” he said while sitting in a glass box just meters away from his daughter and her entire family.

“I would like to see him, I would like to talk to him,” he added. As her voice weakened, Caroline stood up: “I will never come to see you. Never. You will die alone like a dog,” he shouted.

“We all die alone,” he replied. “Especially you,” he replied.

It was the last public interaction between father and daughter, who had had a loving and close relationship for many years.

Mr Pelicot recalled visiting her in hospital when she was recovering from surgery as a child to hold and comfort her, and share memories of her teenage years.

When he said again that he will always love her even if he has stopped loving her, she remained silent and looked forward, tears falling down her face – but she did not answer.

It wasn’t until later, when the program was over, that he approached the box where his father was sitting and shouted: “He is two months old.” [to tell the truth]!”

During questioning, Mr Pelicot also revealed that he is a sex offender and that being discovered by the police in November 2020 had “emptied him”.

He denied that the crimes he committed against his wife were caused by disrespect or a desire to take revenge for her affair in the 1980s.

Asked what he thought about drug delivery – feeding someone a drug with the intention of forcing or assaulting him – he replied: “It’s stupid. It destroys everything. It should never be done.”

Mr Pelicot’s statements were followed by closing arguments from Gisèle Pelicot’s legal team.

Lawyers for the other 50 defendants will give their closing arguments starting next week. They are expected to seriously examine the defense that many men cannot be guilty because they did not know that Ms. Pelicot was unconscious and therefore “did not know” that they were raping her.

For almost three hours Ms. Pelicot’s lawyers, Antoine Camus and Stéphane Babonneau, recounted the horrific story of Dominique Pelicot’s crimes, interspersing their account with documentary references.

“Everyone has contributed to this corruption in their own degree, and has allowed the plight of woman to continue. It is the prevention of evil [philosopher] Hannah Arendt,” said Mr. Camus.

They urged the judges to hand down sentences that reflect the extent of the suffering of Gisèle Pelicot and her family.

Mr Camus said he knows the “expectations and hopes of this room and beyond” regarding this case, which he described as historic, because “we need it badly, we want it and we need it to be so”.

Relying heavily on the idea of ​​freedom of choice, he dismissed the defenders’ argument that many of the men who allegedly raped Ms. Pelicot did so because they were threatened, used or cheated by her husband. “Deception is not hypnosis,” he said.

The fact that they all knew that Mr Pelicot was “hiring” many other men should be taken into account by the judges, he added.

“Every person who entered that horrible house knew that others came before him and others will follow,” said Mr. Camus.

A colleague painted a grim picture of Ms Pelicot’s life as her husband’s crimes became known.

Stéphane Babonneau then explained what led Ms Pelicot – who at the time was living in the village under her maiden name – to give up anonymity and open a case to the public and media.

It was in 2023, he said, when the French media began to report on Pelicot’s case using false names that “a feeling of rebellion began to take hold of Gisèle Pelicot”.

“He decided to get his life back. The time had come to be ashamed to change sides.”

The desire to stop hiding has awakened in him because he had done nothing wrong. And he thought that the details of his case and the videos of the alleged assault would help reveal the truth about the rape.

“In order for her story to be useful and help other women, she understood that she had to give up the anonymity that has been working for her for years,” explained Mr. Babonneau. “He had to accept that he will always be a rape victim in Mazan.”

The lawyer also urged the judges not to accept that the defendants made a “mistake” when – as some say – they raped Ms Pelicot against her will or “due to stupidity or ignorance”.

“If you accept the right to make a mistake, what will prevent another man tomorrow that if a woman says ‘no’ he means yes? That he also made a mistake?”

“I ask you to refuse the right to make mistakes that would put the public at risk – and at the risk of seeing more Gisèle Pelicots,” said Mr Babonneau.

He concluded by honoring Ms. Pelicot and said that the trial will be a “legacy” for future generations: “They will hear the name Gisèle Pelicot, they will hear about her courage and the price she paid.”

Turning to look at Ms. Pelicot, she said: “You did your job. You did more than what was expected of you.”

“Now, pass the torch to others to continue the fight you never chose.”

Gisèle Pelicot, to his right, wiped her eyes.