French mass rape trial: Husband Pelicot sentenced to 20 years

A French court on Thursday sentenced the ex-husband of Gisèle Pelicot to 20 years in jail. Dominique Pelicot was found guilty of aggravated rapes and all other charges.His 50 co-defendants received jail terms of between three and 15 years -- less than what prosecutors had demanded. Two of these defendants had their jail terms suspended. All defendants in the case were found guilty on the charges against them. Follow our liveblog for all the latest developments.The sentence against Dominique Pelicot was declared after he was found guilty of all charges against him. At age 72, it could mean that he spends the rest of his life in prison.
As per AFP report, all 51 defendants in the trial have been found guilty. Two are guilty of sexual assault, two are guilty of attempted rape and 47 of the defendants are guilty of aggravated rape.A cheer went up outside the court in Avignon as news of the first guilty verdicts filtered out. Crowds gathered in the city in the South of France in support of Gisèle Pelicot, who has become a symbol of courage and resilience. All 51 men accused of participating in the mass rape of Gisèle Pelicot are "enormously powerful." Many of the accused had denied the rape and sexual assault charges against them. A panel of five Judges dismissed their claims saying that they thought Gisèle Pelicot had consented to their encounters, despite being drugged unconscious.
One of the most shocking elements of the evidence heard during the trial is how easy Dominique Pelicot found it to recruit his alleged accomplices. Many had jobs. Most are fathers. They came from all walks of life, with the youngest in his 20s and the oldest in their 70s. More than 20 other suspects remain at large as investigators had not managed to identify them before the start of the mass trial.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday saluted the bravery of Gisèle Pelicot for demanding a public and open trial of her ex-husband who was convicted of orchestrating her mass rape. "The shame must change sides. Thank you, Gisèle Pelicot!" Scholz said on X, echoing Pelicot's own words. "You courageously went from anonymity into the public eye and fought for justice. You gave women around the world a strong voice. The shame always lies with the perpetrator.

Gisèle Pelicot said she did not regret the decision to make her trial public as she spoke to the press following the sentencing of 51 men accused of her mass rape. "It is with profound emotion that I am here, the trial was a very difficult ordeal," Gisèle Pelicot said. "I want to thank everyone who has supported me during this period." Pelicot added that she respected the court and the decisions it had made even though some of her supporters said the defendants, all of whom were found guilty of the charges against them, should have received harsher sentences. Pelicot said that she "led the fight" in the courts for her grandchildren and expressed support for other victims of sexual assault. "We share the same fight", she said.