Dominique PelicotThe French pensioner is being prosecuted in the southeastern city of Avignon for drugging his wife for years so that dozens of men could rape her while she was unconscious, In prison, he assured a psychologist that his wife was responsible for his actions because “she didn’t want to sleep with him” and swap partners.
The 71-year-old defendant did not attend the hearing on Monday after his lawyer asked the judge that he had suffered “medical problems” in the last 48 hours for not receiving “adequate treatment.”
The one who testified this Monday is psychologist Anabelle Montagne, who affirmed that during a conversation in prison with Pélicot, in December 2020 – a month and a half after his arrest – he admitted to leading the campaign of sexual abuse against his wife Gisèle.
“My wife and I had an argument about swinging; She didn’t agree so I drugged her“Mountain declared before the Vaucluse criminal court.
The psychologist adds that Pélicot loved his wife, butsaw him as “a sexual object to satisfy his needs” sexual and narcissistic.”
Similarly, he revealed that Pélicot regretted that the trial had ruined his lifeand that he and his wife could have remained happily married if the affair had not been discovered. “He assures that everything could have remained the same if he had been arrested. “If Gisèle had not discovered anything, we would have continued to be happy‘”, he said.
His statements follow the analysis presented by the expert to whom Justice ordered the psychological analysis of Pélicot, Annabelle Montagne, who defines him as a self-centered narcissist who had an uncontrollable desire to fulfill his sexual fantasies.
Montagne insisted that He had no mental problems or mental illness. This prevented him from discerning right from wrong. A fundamental element to be considered criminally responsible.
Similarly, he indicated before the Vaucluse criminal court that No dependency was detected, except possibly sex.which resulted in very frequent use of pornographic content, and which had a tendency towards voyeurism.
As for his wife, He designed it as an object to satisfy his needs and his wishes, more than a person he had to respect.
Dominique Pélicot presents himself as a respected and appreciated family man (he has three children with Gisèle and six grandchildren), with correct psycho-affective functioning and stable personal relationships both in his private and professional life.
Dominique Pelicot’s lawyer, Béatrice Zavarro, stressed to the press, after the presentation of the expert report, that There is a “great dichotomy” in your client’s personality: on the one hand he behaved like a man “helpful, kind, good in all respects”, and on the other “who reveals himself at night through his deviations”.
Zavarro wanted to emphasize from his reading of the psychological expertise that retirement and the family’s move to the south-east of France (he previously lived in the Paris region) had weakened certain barriers and brought to light a dark personality that may have stemmed from the abuse he himself suffered as a child.
Complaints of the accused
On the other hand, those accused of raping Gisèle announced this Monday A flood of complaints about the attacks that they and their families say they are suffering.
In a statement read to the press by lawyer Isabelle Crépin-Dehanene, during a break in the trial, the defenders of the 51 accused deplored that over the weekend “criminal behavior”.
Specifically, they stated that Some of their children were assaulted in their schools, that some of their wives or other close friends have been insulted, that they have received threatening calls or that there has been an attempted break-in at a home.
The lawyers stressed that “the seriousness of these events“led them to ask the public prosecutor to open criminal proceedings to “prevent any new form of violence” because they fear “attacks on the physical integrity of the accused and their relatives.”
They plan to formalize “around fifteen complaints” before the courts this week and there will be others in the coming weeks.
Lawyers confirmed that since the start of the trial on September 2 before the Vaucluse Criminal Court in Avignon, individuals and associations have disclosed personal information about their clients on social networks.
They pointed out that among the documents published on the networks are photographs taken in court, while in France it is absolutely forbidden to capture and broadcast images, videos, but also sound recordings during hearings.
They also criticized the fact that some of those involved in the process, such as forensic experts or investigators, used “vocabulary” that violates the rights to the presumption of innocence and to a fair trial.
Unrest in France
According to the conclusions of the investigation into the case, Gisèle Pelicot, now aged 71, She was raped dozens of times between 2011 and 2020 by dozens of men that her husband, Dominique, had contacted so that, in a sort of voyeuristic practice, they could have sexual relations with her, who was unaware of anything because she was under the influence of anxiolytics.
Everything was discovered in September 2020 when Dominique Pélicot was arrested by security guards at a supermarket in the town of Carpentras for filming the skirts of several women.
When the police went to analyze his computer equipment, they came across thousands of photos and videos showing his wife unconscious and you could see the abuse she had been subjected to.
Gisèle Pelicot testified last week and assured that she wanted everything to be known to avoid further cases of women suffering from chemical submission.
In total, besides Dominique Pélicot, There are 50 other men who have been identified and that they are being tried for the crime of aggravated rape, which carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
The trial has sparked strong emotion in France and the victim’s lawyers have publicly requested that there be no online collections to raise funds for Gisèle Pélicot, as the victim does not want this type of support.
