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Berlin. At the rape trial in Avignon, Gisèle Pelicot’s children form a front against the main defendant – their father.
On Tuesday morning, Philippe L. was the last of 51 defendants to appear at the trial in Avignon for the rape by Gisèle Pelicot had to compete. The 62-year-old pensioner, who seems like a normal citizen, also didn’t want to think about the fact that the previously drugged victim didn’t move or say anything. This is how all the men who accepted husband Dominique Pelicot’s chat room invitation between 2011 and 2020 defended themselves: 26 to 70-year-olds from the south of France, long-distance drivers, civil servants, a firefighter, a prison guard.
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Applications from the public prosecutor’s office will follow in the next few days Pleas the defense and then the verdict in mid-December. But first the main characters have the floor again. Gisèle Pelicot (72) admitted this Tuesday that the weeks of interrogation of these unknown men had “tired” her. Especially since almost everyone denied the crime of rape. She asked her directly: “When did you even ask for my consent to violate me? Why didn’t you even call the police after that?”
Then the woman who is greeted with applause by the trial audience every morning as she enters the courthouse becomes political: “It’s high time,” she says, “for the patriarchal society to change.”
The defendant’s lawyers, for their part, repeated the question of how it could be that Gisele Pelicot Despite all the massive doses of sleeping pills, she didn’t want to notice that she had been raped 200 times in ten years by strangers and her husband. “No, nothing bothered me,” she said rather generally. She no longer remembered that her husband had removed all traces and that even gynecologists had found no explanation for the memory lapses and abdominal pain. This question faded into the background over the course of the trial, although it initially seemed to be significant for the question of guilt.
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Testimony in the Avignon trial: Pelicot sons confront father
The two Pelicot sons testified in court for the first time on Monday. Florian, the younger, says he “suspected something” – but only very vaguely. His father always seemed tense when he called him over a computer problem – after all, he had hidden thousands of photos and videos of the rapes in the device. Once Florian came across an empty dossier called “Martine’s Underwear”.
Finally, the now 38-year-old turns directly to his father in the Plexiglas cage: “Why did you do that? Why did you unknown our mother in this way borrowed? You always said she was a saint to us. But you, you were the devil incarnate!”
David, the older son of the involuntarily world-famous couple, only calls his father “ce monsieur”, this gentleman. He was a good father and shared football and music with his sons. But then he destroyed his entire family, his wife of course, but also his daughter Caroline, who he undoubtedly also abused. “Admit it, you also took photos of my sister in more than suggestive positions,” exclaims David, now turning to his father. He denies it and says he only took the photos of Caroline because of an – unspecified – “blackmail” made. “I can only ask you to accept my apology for everything I have done…” David cuts him off: “Never!”
Trial in Avignon: Perpetrator claims to have been raped himself
The father later claims that he himself was raped when he was 9 years old; When he was 14 he had one Gang rape have to participate. That determined his sex life. He describes his behavior towards his wife as “egoism”. That’s what you can call rape.
Pelicot then claims that he has definitely not committed any offense against his daughter Caroline. She jumps up in anger. “You don’t have the courage to tell the truth!” she screams, looking at those found with him Nude photos from her. “You will die with the lie, all alone!” Gisèle, on the other hand, remains calm and collected. She does not want to comment on her daughter’s allegations against her husband, who is now divorced from her.
A regularly present one Process observer later explains in the anteroom that this court hearing, which was followed by half the world, has divided mother and daughter in recent weeks. The two women are sitting separately in the courtroom today and are no longer talking to each other. Yes, no one will emerge unscathed from this incredibly passionate process.
Dominique Pelicot is threatening, as he himself said in his confession in September Maximum sentence of twenty years. The co-defendants who had repeatedly visited Pelicot’s villa in the Provençal village of Mazan probably felt similarly; Only those who credibly demonstrated that they had been lured into an ambush by Dominique Pelicot would expect lesser punishments. The main defendant systematically incriminates the other defendants, often with a malicious undertone. They grumble audibly and shake their fists. Good thing for the toxic Mr. Pelicot that he is protected behind plexiglass.
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What impact do you think Gisèle’s testimony will have on the outcomes of the trial?
Introduce your guests and start the interview.
Website editor: Good day to both of you. Can you introduce yourselves?
Guest 1: Hi there, my name is Pierre, and I am a journalism student who has been following the Avignon trial closely. This case has been quite alarming and enraging.
Guest 2: Hello, I’m Claire, a psychologist with an interest in victim advocacy and support. I have been following the Pelicot trial with great concern and interest.
Website editor: Thank you both for joining me today. Let’s start by discussing the shocking allegations against Dominique Pelicot. As the trial progresses, we are hearing more and more disturbing testimony about the extent of his crimes. What are your thoughts on Dominique’s defense strategy?
Guest 1: Well, it’s quite disturbing how he is trying to shift the blame to everyone else and claim that he is the victim. His confession on how he was abused as a child and later forced into participating in a gang rape only makes me more angry. It’s a typical abuser’s tactic of blaming the victim and justifying their actions.
Guest 2: I completely agree with you, Pierre. It’s appalling how he tries to minimize his crimes and shift the responsibility onto others. This trial is not just about him but also highlights the importance of holding perpetrators accountable for their actions. His attempt to paint himself as a victim only further victimizes his wife and children.
Website editor: Moving on, what are your thoughts on Gisèle Pelicot’s courage and resilience throughout this ordeal? She testified against her husband and even spoke out against the inaction of the police.
Guest 1: I think it’s admirable how she has stayed strong and continuously spoken out against her husband’s actions. It takes incredible strength to face such horrors and still advocate for others. Her determination to bring justice not only for herself but also for other victims is commendable.
Guest 2: Absolutely. Her bravery in coming forward and standing up to her husband is inspiring. The fact that she did this despite the potentially harmful consequences to
