Pelicot rape trial latest: Gisèle’s children ‘disappointed’ at abusers’ sentences after ex-husband jailed
Ms Pelicot’s ex-husband Dominique Pelicot admitted to drugging and raping her for almost a decade
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The children of mass rape victim Gisèle Pelicot have condemned the “low” sentences in France’s most shocking rape case which saw 51 men convicted for a total of 428 years.
Ex-husband Dominique Pelicot wept as he became one of 51 men convicted in a mass rape and sexual abuse trial involving Gisèle Pelicot, that saw her drugged and sexually assaulted over a number of years.
But his children believe the verdicts handed down to the guilty men in the case were too mild, a family member said.
“The children are disappointed by these low sentences,” said the family member, asking not be identified, after a court hearing in Avignon.
Prosecutors had requested sentences totalling 652 years, but the sentences handed out by judges came up 224 years short of this.
Gisèle’s grandchildren were at the forefront of her mind throughout the three-month long court case.
“I’m thinking about all the other families affected by this case and the unrecognised victims in these stories that are often in the shadows - you share my struggle,” Ms Pelicot added.
Dominique Pelicot has been jailed for the maximum term of 20 years. He previously admitted that for years, he drugged his wife so he and strangers could abuse her while he filmed it.
Court finds all 51 of the accused guilty
The French courts have found 47 men guilty of rape, two guilty of attempted rape and two guilty of sexual assault.
The verdicts on France’s worst ever mass rape case were read out this morning after a three-month long trial.
Local judge reads out guilty verdicts
Local judge in the southern French town of Avignon, Roger Arata, has been reading out guilty verdicts for dozens of men accused of raping Gisèle Pelicot.
Mr Arata read out verdicts one after the other against the accused men.
“You are therefore declared guilty of aggravated rape on the person of Mme Gisèle Pelicot”, he told at least 20 of them.
Gisèle Pelicot: Inside the rape trial that shocked the world
Sitting across a courtroom from the husband who drugged and raped her for a decade, along with the complete strangers he invited to join in the attacks, Gisèle Pelicot was the epitome of dignity.
After bravely choosing to waive her right to anonymity, the grandmother has looked each of her rapists in the eye during a gruelling four-month public trial which horrified the world.
The 72-year-old’s remarkable courage in the face of unfathomable abuse and her simple message - that she and other victims of sexual crimes have no reason to feel ashamed - has inspired conversations about rape culture across the globe as she became a symbol of the struggle against sexual violence.
Each day, scores of women queued outside the courtroom in Avignon, France, to applaud Gisele as she entered. She told the trial she wants women who have been raped to know that “it’s not for us to have shame - it’s for them”.
The Independent’s crime correspondent Amy-Clare Martin writes:
Gisèle Pelicot: Inside the rape trial that shocked the world
The 72-year-old’s simple message - that she and other victims of sexual abuse have no reason to feel ashamed - has inspired conversations about rape culture in France and across the globe, Crime Correspondent Amy-Clare Martin writes
Dominique Pelicot jailed for 20 years
Dominique Pelicot has been jailed for the maximum term of 20 years after being found guilty on all charges.
Pelicot wept as he was convicted and sentenced, according to reporters inside the courtroom.
Pictured: Gisèle Pelicot’s daughter arrives at the courthouse
Crowds gathered outside courthouse listening to verdicts
Crowds outside the Avignon courthouse are hearing the verdicts come through.
Hundreds of people are present to support Gisèle Pelicot as dozens of men are convicted of aggravated rape.
Who are the defendants being accused of rape?
The defendents accused of the rape and abuse of Gisèle Pelicot have become known as ‘Mr Everyman’, because they represent a microcosm of French society.
They include soldiers, firefighters, a journalist, a DJ, lorry drivers and more.
Breaking: At least 20 other defendants found guilty of rape so far
At least 20 other defendants have been found guilty of the rape of Gisèle Pelicot.
The verdicts are still coming in.
Verdicts being handed down quickly
The verdicts on the 50 other men accused of the rape and abuse in the case involving Gisèle Pelicot are being handed down quickly by French judges, Reuters are reporting.
They are almost all accused of rape, and most of them denied the charges.