In his first testimony since the trial started on September 2, Dominique Pelicot, the 71-year-old man accused of drugging his wife Gisèle Pelicot and enlisting the help of dozens of men to rape her over a period of more than a decade, acknowledged to all allegations.
Pelicot made a shocking confession in front of 50 other defendants who were alleged to have shared in the abuse: “I am a rapist like the others in this room,” he declared, adding that “they all knew, they cannot say the contrary.”
In spite of this, only 15 out of the 50 men have acknowledged being raped, and several of them maintain they were merely involved in sexual actions.
Pelicot apologised to his ex-wife, adding, “She did not deserve this.” I was really content with her. He expressed his unwavering love for her by saying, “I loved her immensely and I still do.”
Gisèle, who bravely gave up her right to remain anonymous at the beginning of the trial, gave an emotional response, saying, “It is hard for me to listen to this.” I lived with a man for fifty years who I never thought could be able to do this. I had total faith in him.
Gisèle’s legal team requested that the trial be made public because they thought that this would put the burden of proof back on the accused.
Pelicot also revealed details of his troubled childhood, recounting an experience of abuse by a male nurse when he was nine. He referenced suicidal thoughts when he discovered his wife’s affair but maintained that he never harboured hatred for her.
Pelicot acknowledged that the thousands of films he took of men abusing his unconscious wife were both a source of “pleasure” and “insurance” to help identify the perpetrators.
In his evidence, he also discussed how he was powerless to halt the abuse even when Gisèle started to experience memory loss, weight loss, and hair loss—symptoms she was afraid were the result of a brain tumour or Alzheimer’s. Later on, it was revealed that these were adverse reactions to the sedatives her husband had been giving her. Pelicot said, “I tried to stop, but my addiction was stronger.” “I violated her confidence.”
Beyond the abuse of his wife, Pelicot faces further accusations of drugging and abusing his daughter, Caroline, after semi-naked photos of her were found on his laptop—an accusation he denied. He also categorically stated he had never harmed his grandchildren.
Pelicot described how his perversion began in 2010 after meeting a male nurse online who suggested drugging his wife, explaining the process, and sharing photos of drugged women. “That’s when it all clicked,” Pelicot said. “Everything started then.”
His lawyer, Béatrice Zavarro, told French media that Pelicot was “sharing his truth” but appeared “downtrodden.” She added that the trial, still ongoing, would eventually uncover “everything about Dominique Pelicot.”
Due to illness, including a kidney infection and kidney stones, Pelicot missed almost a week of the proceedings but has now resumed his testimony with frequent breaks allowed.