麻豆影视

World

    • A French man admits in court to drugging his wife so that he and dozens of men could rape her

    Share
    AVIGNON, France -

    Content warning: This article contains disturbing content. Reader discretion is advised.

    A 71-year-old French man admitted in court Tuesday that for nearly a decade, he repeatedly drugged his unwitting wife and invited dozens of men to rape her while she lay unconscious in their bed.

    His wife of 50 years, who has divorced him since his arrest, also got to speak, telling the court that she feels completely betrayed.

    In a trial that has gripped France and raised awareness about sexual violence in the home and beyond, Dominique Pelicot told the court that he also raped his wife, Gisele Pelicot, and that the 50 men standing trial alongside him understood exactly what they were doing.

    "Today I maintain that, along with the other men here, I am a rapist," Dominique Pelicot testified. "They knew everything. They can't say otherwise."

    Pelicot's testimony marked the most important moment yet in a trial that has shocked the world. Although he previously confessed to investigators, his court testimony will be crucial for the panel of judges to decide on the fate of his co-defendants, who range in age from 26 to 74. Many of them deny having raped Gisele Pelicot, saying her then-husband had manipulated them or that they believed she was consenting.

    Many following the case also hope his testimony might help explain why Dominique Pelicot would subject the mother of his three children to such unconscionable abuse.

    Gisele Pelicot has become a hero to many rape victims and a symbol of the fight against sexual violence in France for agreeing to waive her anonymity in the case, letting the trial be public and appearing openly in front of the media. She shows up every day, passing through the courthouse security line behind men accused of raping her. As she left court during a break Tuesday, supporters brought her flowers.

    After days of delay due to what his lawyers said was a kidney stone and urinary tract infection, Dominique Pelicot, seated in a wheelchair, testified that the charges against him are true. With his ex-wife looking on from the packed gallery and his voice trembling and barely audible at times, he started a long day of testimony trying to explain childhood traumas that he said scarred and molded him into the person he became.

    "One is not born a pervert, one becomes a pervert," Pelicot told the judges after recounting, sometimes in tears, being raped by a male hospital nurse at age 9 and being forced to take part in a gang rape at age 14.

    Pelicot also said that for years, his father sexually abused a young girl his family had taken in, and that his brother later said their father had invited other men to do the same.

    He regretted that his parents didn't let him continue his studies after he turned 14. He said that around that time, he tried to persuade his mother to leave the house with him, but "she never wanted to."

    "I don't really want to talk about this, I am just ashamed of my father. In the end, I didn't do any better," said Pelicot, who faces 20 years in prison if convicted.

    After he spoke about his difficult upbringing, Gisele Pelicot was given the opportunity to address the court.

    "It is hard for me to hear this. For 50 years, I lived with a man. I couldn't imagine even one second that he could have committed acts of rape," she said. "I trusted this man entirely."

    FILE - Police officers walk in the Avignon court house prior to the trial of Dominique Pelicot, in Avignon, southern France, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. (Lewis Joly / AP Photo, File)

    The two looked at each other, him from behind the dock鈥檚 glass window and her from the witness stand.

    鈥淚 am guilty,鈥 he told her. 鈥淚 regret everything I did. I ask you for forgiveness, even if it is unpardonable.鈥

    Asked if she wanted to respond, Gis猫le P茅licot turn and left the stand.

    When asked about his feelings toward his ex-wife, Dominique P茅licot said she didn't deserve what he did.

    鈥淔rom my youth, I remember only shocks and traumas, forgotten partly thanks to her,鈥 he said in tears.

    At that moment, Gis猫le P茅licot put on her sunglasses.

    Later, Dominique P茅licot said, 鈥淚 was crazy about her. She replaced everything. I ruined everything.鈥

    A supermarket security guard caught Pelicot in 2020 secretly shooting video up women's skirts, according to court documents. During a search of his house and electronic devices, police found thousands of photos and videos of men engaging in sexual acts with Gisele Pelicot while she appeared to be unconscious in bed.

    With the recordings, police were able to track down most of the 72 suspects they were seeking, but not all.

    In addition to the photos and videos of Gis猫le P茅licot, investigators found photos of the Pelicots' daughter, Caroline Darian, and two daughters-in-law that were surreptitiously taken while they were in their underwear, getting undressed or taking showers, according to authorities.

    While her mother has stayed remarkably calm throughout the trial's harrowing testimony, Darian walked out of the courtroom Tuesday as her father was being asked about photos of her that were found on his laptop.

    "Excuse me, I鈥檓 going to vomit," she said angrily before rushing out. She has written a book about what happened to her family, called "And I Stopped Calling you Daddy."

    After retiring, the Pelicots moved from the Paris region to a house in Mazan, a small town in the Provence region.

    When police officers called Gis猫le P茅licot in for questioning in late 2020, she initially told them her husband was 鈥渁 great guy," according to legal documents. They then showed her some photos. She left and later divorced her husband.

    Since Dominique P茅licot鈥檚 arrest, other cases have surfaced. He was fined after being caught shooting video of a women鈥檚 crotch in 2010 and required to see a psychologist. Gis猫le P茅licot has said she never knew about this incident.

    Under French law, the proceedings inside the courtroom cannot be filmed or photographed. Dominique P茅licot has been brought into the court through a special entrance that's inaccessible for the media, because he and some other defendants are being held in custody during the trial and can't be filmed. Defendants who are not in custody have been arriving at the courthouse wearing surgical masks or hoods to avoid having their faces filmed or photographed.

    Among those hoping to secure a seat to watch the Tuesday's proceedings was Bernadette Tessoni猫re, a 69-year-old retiree who lives a half-hour drive from Avignon, where the trial is taking place.

    鈥淗ow is it possible that in 50 years of communal life, one can live next to someone who hides his life so well? This is scary,鈥 she said. 

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    LIVE

    LIVE

    Murray Sinclair鈥檚 family members say the late justice and senator has been laid to rest according to his wishes.

    Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced voters in Cloverdale鈥擫angley City will pick their next member of Parliament on Dec. 16.

    As the possibility of mass deportations looms following Donald Trump's re-election on Tuesday, border towns like the City of Cornwall are preparing for a potential influx of asylum seekers.

    On Friday, the Sarnia Police Service (SPS) received a report of an alleged abduction in the area of Kathleen Avenue and Walnut Avenue.

    It's been a trip to cherish for a group of Canadians visiting Belgium this week to honour the legacy of Indigenous soldiers.

    Canada

    • Nova Scotia's New Democratic Party says a candidate criticized by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs for "troubling" and "damaging" social media posts is no longer running for the party in the Nov. 26 general election.

    • On Friday, the Sarnia Police Service (SPS) received a report of an alleged abduction in the area of Kathleen Avenue and Walnut Avenue.

    • It's been a trip to cherish for a group of Canadians visiting Belgium this week to honour the legacy of Indigenous soldiers.

    • Winnipeg firefighters rescued and reunited a cat with its owners Saturday after a house fire in the city鈥檚 Burrows neighbourhood.

    World

    Politics

    • LIVE

      LIVE

      Murray Sinclair鈥檚 family members say the late justice and senator has been laid to rest according to his wishes.

    • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced voters in Cloverdale鈥擫angley City will pick their next member of Parliament on Dec. 16.

    Health

    • Researchers say taking a peek inside a person's brain is as difficult as understanding the universe or discovering the ocean in its entirety.

    • B.C. health officials say they have detected Canada's first-ever case of H5 avian influenza in a human.

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    • Bitcoin hits US$80K. Why Trump is boosting crypto

      Bitcoin on Sunday hit a new record above US$80,000. The world鈥檚 largest cryptocurrency surged in the run-up to Tuesday鈥檚 US presidential election, rose sharply immediately on election night after it became clear Donald Trump would win and has continued rising in the days since his victory.

    • Contract negotiations resume today in Vancouver in a labour dispute that has paralyzed container cargo shipping at British Columbia's ports since Monday.

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    For the second year in a row, the 鈥楪ift-a-Family鈥 campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

    Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

    A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

    As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

    A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts 鈥 not for themselves, but for those in need.

    A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

    Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

    A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.

    • Environment Canada says heavy rain and winds could cause power outages on Vancouver Island as an "intense" storm system is set to hit the B.C. coast Sunday.

    • The union for locked-out port workers in British Columbia says the BC Maritime Employers Association cut off talks in less than an hour Saturday, refusing to budge on a final offer that the union has so far rejected.

    • Thousands of people are expected to gather in downtown Vancouver on Monday to observe the city鈥檚 100th Remembrance Day ceremony.

    • Patrons were inside a movie theatre when a suspect fired bullets at the business鈥 doors on Saturday night, before the cinema was shot at again hours later in a second incident, police say.

    • With Remembrance Day on Monday, there will be several events honouring armed forces members who died in the line of duty.

    • Taylor Swift鈥檚 Eras Tour is coming to Toronto this month and will likely be the most commercially successful concert series the city has ever seen.

    • A pair of 105-mm howitzers bark constantly as they turn plywood tank targets into kindling kilometres away on the windswept landscape of one of Canada's largest military bases.

    • Over 700 people danced, ate, sang and celebrated Diwali Saturday night at the Genesis Centre in northeast Calgary.

    • On Saturday the City of Calgary held the first of three open houses seeking public input regarding the the intersection and roadways of Sarcee Trail and Bow Trail S.W.

    • Three people, including an eight-month-old have died after a two-vehicle collision on Highway 401 in eastern Ontario Saturday afternoon, according to the Ontario provincial Police (OPP).

    • With CTV broadcasting NFL football games on Sundays this season, 麻豆影视 at Six will be broadcasting live on our website and the 麻豆影视 App.

    • CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at what's open and closed in Ottawa on Remembrance Day.

    • Despite some opposition, a motion was passed at the party鈥檚 convention in Levis, Que. over the weekend to create a Quebec constitution.

    • The West Island Mission hosted its second food drive Sunday amid increasing demand.

    • Three people from Laval, Que. are dead after an accident on the Ontario highway.

    • The Edmonton Oilers may have found the break they were looking for.

    • A woman is dead after a driver crashed a truck through a Boston Pizza in Fort McMurray late Saturday morning.

    • A national program has been using several methods of investigation since 2007 to identify the skeletal remains of unknown Canadian armed-forces members.

    • Here鈥檚 what鈥檚 opened and closed across the Maritimes on Remembrance Day.

    • Two nephews of the beloved Harry R. Hamilton share stories about his life and legacy.

    • LIVE

      LIVE

      Murray Sinclair鈥檚 family members say the late justice and senator has been laid to rest according to his wishes.

    • Winnipeg police have identified two men involved in a stabbing incident earlier this week.

    • The Winnipeg Blue Bombers whipped the Saskatchewan Roughriders 38-22 in Saturday's CFL West Division final to earn their fifth consecutive trip to the Grey Cup.

    • It was a somber day at Mosaic Stadium as members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cleaned out their stalls and closed the book on the 2024 season.

    • Urban municipalities across southern Saskatchewan are preparing for their civic elections on November 13.

    • 麻豆影视 Regina will be airing special coverage of Regina鈥檚 municipal election on Wednesday evening beginning at 9:30 p.m.

    • A man has been charged after a stabbing at an apartment building in Kitchener.

    • The Guelph Police Service is putting out a warning after two deaths in the downtown area.

    • Two new tributes to Canada鈥檚 veterans have been unveiled at the Elmira Cenotaph.

    • It was a somber day at Mosaic Stadium as members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cleaned out their stalls and closed the book on the 2024 season.

    • The Regina Rams claimed the Hardy Cup after a hard fought battle against the Saskatoon Huskies 19-14 on Saturday in the first all Saskatchewan U-Sports western conference final since 2002.

    • Elections Saskatchewan completed the final step in the vote counting process from the provincial election on Saturday.

    • CTVNewsNorthernOntario.ca is livestreaming the annual Remembrance Day ceremony at the Sudbury Community Arena starting Monday at 10:30 a.m.

    • Police have arrested a 15-year-old in connection with a break-in and $50,000 in damage done to the Centennial Arena in Elliot Lake in September.

    • On Friday, the Sarnia Police Service (SPS) received a report of an alleged abduction in the area of Kathleen Avenue and Walnut Avenue.

    • Three people were taken to hospital after a plane crashed in the Municipality of Southwest Middlesex.

    • London Knights Logan Hawery and Caleb Mitchell are returning from the U17 World Hockey Challenge with gold medals around their necks.

    • Crews responded to an overnight porch fire at a residence in Orillia, where all occupants managed to escape without injury.

    • A driver is facing multiple charges after a multi-vehicle collision on Highway 400 early Sunday morning.

    • OPP are investigating a Saturday evening incident in Caledon that resulted in one death.

    • For Gene Lotz, the spark of curiosity to delve into the history of those who served in war only began when the answers became difficult to find.

    • One person has been arrested after Chatham-Kent Police Service (CKPS) received multiple complaints about an alleged drunk driver.

    • An individual is dead following a collision involving a motorcycle in Kingsville.

    • Environment Canada says heavy rain and winds could cause power outages on Vancouver Island as an "intense" storm system is set to hit the B.C. coast Sunday.

    • The union for locked-out port workers in British Columbia says the BC Maritime Employers Association cut off talks in less than an hour Saturday, refusing to budge on a final offer that the union has so far rejected.

    • Mounties on Vancouver Island are out with a warning about a "concerning" scam that has recently targeted several victims.

    • The emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver, B.C., will be closed for 31 hours this weekend, the second such closure in a week and the third since the start of November.

    • Police in Kamloops, B.C., are reminding parents and guardians to check their children's Halloween candy after receiving a report of a mother finding a razor blade in one of her daughter's treats.

    • More than two years after Alannah Brown and Douglas Barker were found dead north of Penticton, police are asking for help identifying a vehicle they believe was associated with the crime.

    • The Southern Alberta Recreation Association is officially announcing the Town of Taber as next year鈥檚 host for the Southern Alberta Summer Games.

    • The Lethbridge Hurricanes broke open a close game with three goals in the first two minutes of the third period as they defeated the Warriors 7-3 in a game played Friday night in Moose Jaw.

    • There might not a lot snow just yet, but many southern Albertans are still itching to get outdoors.

    • Police have arrested a 15-year-old in connection with a break-in and $50,000 in damage done to the Centennial Arena in Elliot Lake in September.

    • Mayors of the five largest cities in northern Ontario met in North Bay the last two days to discuss a range of critical issues impacting their cities and the region.

    • Residents in the Sault expressed concerns ranging from vandalism to privacy invasions during recent consultations on the city's plan to install automated speed enforcement cameras.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 麻豆影视. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow 麻豆影视