A Mass Rape Trial That Shook France
It was a mass rape trial that profoundly impacted France: 51 men were found guilty at once, primarily for raping Gisèle Pelicot, a woman in her 60s. She had been systematically drugged into a comatose state by her own husband, Dominique Pelicot, who then invited other men to assault her. This horrific abuse spanned several years.
Dominique Pelicot, 72, now Gisèle’s ex-husband, received the maximum sentence of 20 years. The other 50 men involved were handed sentences ranging from three to 15 years in prison.
However, one of the convicted men, Husamettin Dogan, is appealing the verdict, maintaining his innocence and seeking his release. His appeal trial begins this Monday in Nîmes, marking a new phase in a case that has inspired women across France and beyond to speak out against the pervasive and often normalized nature of rape and rape culture.
Below is a comprehensive timeline of the events in this significant case, compiled from court records and testimonies:
1973
Gisèle and Dominique Pelicot marry at the age of 20, just two years after their initial meeting. Ms. Pelicot later recounted to the court that they were deeply in love and inseparable at that time.
1974
The first of their three children is born. The family settles in the outskirts of Paris. Ms. Pelicot, a manager at a large public company, becomes the primary provider for the family, while Mr. Pelicot works in various roles, including as a real estate agent.
2010
Mr. Pelicot is apprehended after being caught covertly filming under women’s skirts in a shopping mall near Paris. He used a miniature camera hidden inside a pen. He is arrested and fined 100 euros (approximately $120) for “capturing indecent images.” Ms. Pelicot remained unaware of this arrest until 2020, when an investigative judge informed her during the preparations for the first trial. She told the court, “If I had been informed, maybe I would have left him, or not. But I would have been more attentive.”
July 2011
According to his later testimony in court, Mr. Pelicot begins drugging his wife this year. Ms. Pelicot recalled experiencing a blackout on a Saturday, sleeping until 6 p.m. As the involuntary drugging became more frequent over time, she reported suffering from numerous unexplained blackouts, which led her to fear she might be developing Alzheimer’s disease or a brain tumor.
2013
Mr. and Ms. Pelicot retire and relocate to a bungalow with a garden and a pool in Mazan, a small town situated near Avignon in southern France. Their children and grandchildren visit them regularly.
Sept. 12, 2020
Mr. Pelicot is arrested once more after a security guard catches him filming up women’s skirts, this time with his smartphone in a supermarket in Carpentras, a town close to Mazan. Police confiscate two phones, a camera, and a video recorder from him, along with a laptop, a USB drive, and an SD card found at his home. He is released pending charges and informs Ms. Pelicot of his arrest.
Nov. 2, 2020
Ms. Pelicot meets with the police in Carpentras, expecting to discuss the supermarket incident. Instead, officers reveal that they have discovered videos on her husband’s electronic devices, indicating he had been drugging her for years and inviting dozens of men into their home to rape her alongside him.
Nov. 3, 2020
The Pelicots’ children assist their mother in moving out of her home, which has now become a crime scene. The police show Caroline Darian, the middle child and only daughter (who uses a pen name), two photos recovered from her father’s devices. These images depict her sleeping with the covers pulled back and the lights on. She testifies that she is convinced her father drugged and sexually assaulted her. Dominique Pelicot denies these allegations, stating he did not take the pictures.
Feb. 9, 2021
Police initiate the first arrests of other men implicated in the case. Most are tracked down through photos, as well as records from Skype conversations, phone calls, and text messages. Mr. Pelicot had previously directed the police to a hard drive in his garage, where they uncovered thousands of images and videos he had taken and edited. Many of these files were ominously stored in a folder titled “Abuse.”
Sept. 2, 2024
The trial commences. Ms. Pelicot takes the stand, explaining her decision to allow the proceedings to be public and to decline the anonymity typically offered by law to victims of sexual assault. She asserts her desire for society to fundamentally change its approach to rape. Calmly, she tells the court, “So when other women, if they wake up with no memory, they might remember the testimony of Ms. Pelicot. No woman should suffer from being drugged and victimized.”
Sept. 14, 2024
Thousands of women participate in demonstrations across France, rallying in solidarity with Ms. Pelicot.
Dec. 19, 2024
Dominique Pelicot and all other defendants are convicted.
Dec. 29, 2024
Seventeen of the 51 convicted men file appeals. Subsequently, all but one of these appeals are withdrawn.
Oct. 6, 2025
The appeal trial for the sole remaining appellant, Husamettin Dogan, begins in Nîmes.