French survivor Gisèle Pelicot, whose husband had drugged and let dozens of men r*pe her for nearly ten years, confronted one of her assailants in court again. At his appeal trial, Pelicot confronted the man, who still insists he did not r*pe her, directly in a dramatic moment that left the entire courtroom shocked. Read on to know what the man said and how Gisèle responded to his words.
Gisèle Pelicot Confronts Man Who Claims He Did Not Eape Her Despite Video Evidence
Gisèle Pelicot recently attended court in Nîmes, France, for the trial appeal of Husamettin Dogan, 44, one of 51 men who were convicted in relation to her r*pe. Dogan was initially sentenced to nine years in prison but still maintains that he was “trapped” by Pelicot’s husband, Dominique, who had confessed to drugging his wife before inviting other men to r*pe her.
French outlet, Le Monde, reported that Dogan informed the court on October 8 that he had been manipulated by Gisèle Pelicot’s husband, Dominique, adding, “I wanted to stop… but he reassured me. He’s the manipulator, not me.” He also denied that he r*ped her, calling the recorded attacks “sex scenes” instead.
Dominique, who coordinated the decade of abuse, insisted he had not coerced anyone into participating, stating Dogan “knew his wife would be asleep.” However, videos recovered from Dominique’s devices tell a different story, which reveals Pelicot was unconscious in all of them.
Looking collected but resolute, Gisèle Pelicot denied Dogan’s assertions in court herself. The Guardian reported that she said, “This is not a s*x scene. It is r*pe. And without a condom.” She faced Dogan at one point and said, “When are you going to acknowledge you r*ped me? It’s a crime to r*pe a woman when she’s unconscious. When did I ever give you permission? Never.”
The horrifying case was first revealed in 2020, when Dominique’s electronics were confiscated after being charged with secretly recording women at supermarkets. There were more than 20,000 videos and photographs the police uncovered detailing Pelicot’s multiple attacks stretching back to 2011.
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While 51 men have been convicted up to now, Dogan’s appeal has sparked renewed outrage in France and yet again highlighted Gisèle Pelicot’s bravery in standing up against those who abused her trust and body for almost a decade.
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