Dominique Pelicotthe man tried in Avignon (south-east of France) for having drugged his wife for years so that others could sexually abuse him in an unconscious state, he was hospitalized this Tuesday, which leaves his statement and the continuity of the process pending.
Her lawyer, Beatrice Zavarro, told reporters during a break in the trial that she had been informed that Pelicot, 71, had been hospitalized to receive health care.
Zavarro explained that his client began to have the first symptoms last Friday. “a urinary tract infectionpossibly renal colic” and suggested that “he received no attention over the weekend.”
At the start of this morning’s hearing, the president of the Vaucluse criminal court, Roger Arata, had indicated that the main accused would not be able to testify in the afternoon, as planned, due to a health problem, but this was not confirmed. There was no indication at that time of a possible change to the programme.
On Monday, Pélicot was absent shortly after the start of the session for the same reason. Arata decided to seek an expert opinion this morning to know precisely his state of health in order to decide. His lawyer considered it “essential” to postpone the trial and rejected the speculations that arose this morning about an alleged maneuver by his client to avoid testifying.
The main accused was “eager” to testify
He said that Pélicot “will answer all questions” and that he was “impatient” to be able to speak to his ex-wife, Gisèle – they have been divorced since August – and to his children, but in the meantime this medical problem arose “that he had not anticipated”.
In any case, the trial continues and this afternoon, an expert intervened who examined the seized computer equipment. The morning session allowed Stéphan Gal, one of the police investigators on whom the investigation was based, to ensure that there was no consent on the part of the Gisele Pelicot for any of the 50 men identified as having had sex with her in audiovisual files seized from her now ex-husband.
Gal remembered that he was always under the effects of anxiolytics that Dominique Pélicot administered to him and his state of unconsciousness completely annulled his will. He explained that in some of the practices to which the victim was subjected, it is evident that there was suffering even in this state, since in the recordings he is seen moving or making drowning gestures, when, for example, one of the accused He put his penis in his mouth.
Some say they didn’t know she was on drugs.
Some of those sitting on the bench have admitted that they knew that Gisèle Pélicot was under chemical subjugation, but some deny it and this is precisely the basis of their defense to avoid being found guilty of aggravated rape, a crime. punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
To justify this alleged ignorance or at least limit their responsibility, their lawyers maintain that it was Dominique Pelicot who organized everything, from the online contact to the preparation of the place where the sessions were held, and that they were ultimately only simple executors of a plan… conceived in advance.
This defense strategy was manifested with the intervention of a lawyer after Gal revealed a recording of his client and how he made a victory sign with his fingers while ejaculating in the direction of Dominique Pelicot who was taking the images.
The lawyer asked the police officer if he was sure it was a V for victory, because his client had explained that what he was doing was indicating the number of times he had ejaculated and not a sign of satisfaction. Some of the audience present from a room adjacent to the courtroom then reacted with laughter and signs of disapproval.
In the videos and photos kept by the main accused, nine individuals also appear who also abused Gisèle Pelicot, but who could not be identified.
