What's happened
Dominique Pelicot, 71, has confessed to drugging and raping his wife, Gisèle, while inviting dozens of men to join him over nearly a decade. His testimony in court has shocked France, highlighting systemic issues of sexual violence. The trial involves 51 defendants, with many admitting guilt while others deny wrongdoing.
Why it matters
What the papers say
The New York Times reported that Dominique Pelicot admitted, "I am a rapist just like all the others in this room," highlighting the gravity of the situation. Al Jazeera noted that his wife, Gisèle, has become a symbol of the struggle against sexual violence, with public support growing for her cause. The Scotsman emphasized the shocking nature of the trial, stating that many of the accused deny wrongdoing, claiming they were misled by Pelicot. The Guardian pointed out that the trial's revelations have shocked the nation, prompting discussions about the normalization of such violence in society.
How we got here
The case against Dominique Pelicot emerged after police investigated him for unrelated offenses in 2020. They discovered thousands of videos and images documenting the abuse of his wife, leading to a broader investigation into the involvement of other men. Gisèle Pelicot has since become a symbol of the fight against sexual violence in France.
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France, officially the French Republic, is a country consisting of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories.
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Dominique Pélicot, a 71-year-old from Mazan in south-eastern France, is accused of repeatedly drugging his wife and inviting strangers to rape her while she was unconscious. Over a period of nine years from July 2011 to October 2020 Gisèle Pélicot, who
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Paris is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,150,271 residents as of 2020, in an area of 105 square kilometres.