A French woman, Gisèle, 72, revealed in court on Friday, September 6, that she nearly took her own life after discovering her husband had allegedly allowed 72 men to rape her while she was unconscious over a span of 10 years.
Testifying before a court in Avignon, France, Gisèle shared the emotional turmoil she faced after learning of the horrific abuse. She is currently divorcing her husband, Dominique Pélicot, and the two confronted each other in court for the first time in what has become one of France’s most significant rape cases.
“I only wanted one thing to disappear. I told myself, ‘I’m going to get in my car with my dog and end it all,'” Gisèle recounted.
She explained that after sharing her thoughts with her sons, they struggled to grasp the gravity of the situation, initially reacting with disbelief. “They were in shock… They said, ‘Don’t say such silly things,’ but later that evening, they kept calling, worried I might disappear or worse,” she added.
During her testimony, Gisèle bravely revealed that she had undergone HIV testing and had been diagnosed with four sexually transmitted diseases at the Versailles medical forensic unit. She also recalled how she had once fallen in love with Dominique and started their life together, only for her world to be shattered when his crimes came to light.
Pélicot wept as Gisèle described the overwhelming feelings of betrayal and disgust. “We had everything. We had a great life. I don’t understand how this could have happened,” she told the court.
Gisèle expressed deep gratitude to the police officer who first arrested her husband after he was caught secretly filming women’s skirts at a supermarket in Carpentras. “He saved my life, and I probably wouldn’t be here without him,” she said.
The investigation into Pélicot’s crimes uncovered footage on his camera and laptop documenting numerous alleged rapes between 2011 and 2020. Most of the assaults were carried out by strangers that Pélicot had contacted online. So far, detectives have identified 51 of the 72 men involved, with a total of 92 rapes recorded.
The aggravated rape trial in Avignon continues, with proceedings expected to last until December 21.
