Gisele Pelicot was cheered by crowds including her former drama teacher as she left the courthouse today after confronting the Monster of Avignon for letting strangers into their bedroom to rape her.
The 71-year-old asked her husband how he could have betrayed her and told the court she feared he was ‘acting out of revenge’ for an affair she had 30 years earlier.
Dominque Pelicot, 72, is on trial in France for drugging Gisele, 71, and allowing dozens of men to rape her in a decade-long campaign of abuse.
Gisele gave her testimony today and as she left the Avignon courthouse she was given flowers by her former drama teacher, Christophe Brunel.
In an interview afterwards, Mr Brunel said he ‘really loved her’ and feels proud to consider Gisele as one of his students.
Gisele Pelicot poses in Avignon, on October 23, during the trial of her husband, Dominique
Gisele Pelicot is greeted by her former drama teacher Christophe Brunel as she left the courthouse today
The shocking case involved retired electrician Dominique Pelicot (pictured), 72, who in a decade long campaign drugged his unsuspecting wife Gisele Pelicot, 71, so that dozens of men could rape and abuse her, while he watched and filmed them
Mrs Pelicot was asked by the judge if her former husband was acting out of revenge after she had confessed to an affair earlier in their marriage with a family friend.
She said: ‘This did cross my mind, I wondered if he was taking revenge, it was 30 years ago but we talked about it and he had mistresses as well.
‘I always told him if he had doubts about our third child Florian, we could do a paternity test.’
At an earlier hearing Pelicot had told the court that he would crush sleeping tablets into his wife’s meals and in particular ‘her favourite ice-cream or sorbet’.
Speaking of the outpouring of support she had received, Mrs Pelicot said: ‘I’ve been told I am very courageous, but it’s not courage, it’s will and determination, to make society evolve.
‘Courage is saving someone who is drowning at sea, I only have will and determination. That’s why I come here, but I also have all these men and women behind me, I’m coming for them.’
As she spoke her former husband looked on from a glass box, sat in a chair resting his chin in his hand, occasionally looking up at his former wife of almost 50 years.
Mrs Pelicot said she would not look at her husband but would address him as Dominque.
She added: ‘I am so grateful that you have given me the opportunity to speak because for almost eight weeks, I have been hurt and challenged, but I know I have nothing to be ashamed of.’
Speaking about graphic footage and images that have been shown of her during the trial she bravely said: ‘I have been raped 100 times and it was difficult to make the decision to release those videos but it also allowed us to acknowledge the truth.’
Mrs Pelicot added: ‘So many times I said to myself how lucky I was to have you when we went to the hospital because I was unwell (as a result him drugging her).
Gisele Pelicot gestures a she leaves the court in Avignon on October 23
Gisele Pelicot flanked by her lawyers Antoine Camus and Stephane Babonneau as they leave the court today
Gisele Pelicot (pictured leaving court) said she is a ‘completely destroyed woman’ as she shamed the Monster of Avignon in a powerful testimony
Gisele Pelicot reacts as she arrives at the Avignon courthouse for the trial of her former partner Dominique Pelicot on October 23
‘He took me to the gynaecologist; I trusted him entirely. How can the ideal man have gone to this? How could you have betrayed me? How could you have brought strangers into our bedroom.’
Describing the huge betrayal, she said: ‘Even our friends appreciated him, we shared holidays, birthdays with them, Christmas all that for me was happiness but now after four years of preparing for this trial, I still haven’t understood why.
‘We had 50 years of happy life together, I was a happy woman, fulfilled, I had three children and seven grandchildren, he was a caring father, a good listener, a kind man who I trusted completely, this is difficult, we shared laughter and sorrow.’
Mrs Pelicot continued her emotional testimony and added: ‘Today, in this court I still don’t understand how this perfect gentleman, could have ended up like this, how my life was turned upside down.
‘How could you betray me to this extent? How could you let people come into our bedroom? This betrayal is immeasurable. I thought I would end my days with this man.’
As she spoke her husband looked down at his shoes, barely bringing himself to look at his ex wife as she gave a brutal description of him.
When asked by the judge if she had any view on the family members of the accused who had testified earlier, she said: ‘I’ve watched these women, these mothers, these sisters, these wives, talking of how their son, brother, husband is an exceptional man.
Gisele pictured attending the trial at a courthouse in Avignon on October 23
Gisele Pelicot pictured with her lawyer Antoine Camus on October 23
Gisele Pelicot arrives at the criminal court in Avignon, France on October 23
‘I had the same at my home but a rapist is not the man you meet in a car park late at night, he can also be one of your family, one of your friends.’
She went on: ‘I don’t understand how it got to this, I’m going to tell him, I always tried to push you towards the light but you chose the depths of the human soul, you chose it.’
Speaking of one of her attackers she said: ‘One man’s mother came, she was 54 years old, I don’t remember his name of the, but in effect he came to rape his grandmother.
‘I am totally destroyed by this, how am I going to rebuild myself?’
Mrs Pelicot added that she had decided to testify so she could ‘speak for all victims’.
She added: ‘I want them to say Madame Pelicot did it, so we can do it. I don’t want them to be ashamed anymore, we are not the ones who should be ashamed, it’s their shame.’
Judge Arata also asked her how she thought the rapes were ‘prepared’ and she replied: ‘He would cook a lot of meals.
‘One day he came to pick me up from Avignon station at about 4pm, we got home and he had already prepared dinner.
‘We had mashed potato, which I love, and it was seasoned with olive oil for me and butter for him.
‘Then he would watch football and at half time he would bring me ice-cream or sorbet, raspberry, my favourite and I would think how lucky I was to have him.
‘But I didn’t feel anything, I would wake up in the morning with my pyjamas on. He could have put the drugs in them or in my coffee or my orange juice.’
Monster of Avignon rape victim Gisele Pelicot was greeted with warm applause as she arrived (pictured above) to give evidence in the ongoing trial of her husband
Mrs Pelicot will be asked by trial judge Roger Arata for her views on the evidence heard so far and it comes as the latest batch of the 50 accused are grilled
This courtroom sketch by Valentin Pasquier shows Gisele Pelicot, left, and her ex-husband Dominique Pelicot, right, during his trial, at the Avignon court house, in Avignon, southern France, on September 17, 2024
Her testimony comes after it was revealed that a rapist who abused unconscious Gisele got his partner to drop him off and wait in the car while he engaged in the sordid sex act.
Abdelali Dallal, 47, has admitted two counts of rape committed in January and March 2018 and he is one of 50 men who are currently testifying in the case that has made headlines around the world.
Dallal, director of a glazing firm company, has told investigators he met Pelicot online while surfing a swingers website called Coco.fr which has since closed, and he had been invited there by him to sleep with his wife.
Speaking before him, Dallal’s former partner told the court in Avignon how she had driven him to the Pelicot home in the nearby picturesque village of Mazan but she said she hadn’t asked him why he was there.
It comes as Mrs Pelicot was greeted with warm applause as she arrived at court this morning to give her verdict on the evidence heard so far in the ongoing trial of her husband.
Dallal’s former partner told the court about dropping him off: ‘When we arrived, I waited in the car, it was night and I don’t remember how long we were there.
‘He told me not to park directly outside the house but a little further away, I didn’t ask him why we were there or what he was doing there, I didn’t want to know.’
Dallal was later arrested after being recognised by the partner of another defendant who had been questioned about the case while she was shown photos of the accused recovered from devices Pelicot kept.
At first Dallal denied it was him insisting it ‘must be a double’ before later confessing it was him and at the start of the trial last month he admitted the two rapes he is accused of.
During questioning he told police he had since suffered a stroke and was 80 per cent disabled and added he was ‘stupid’ to return to the house as he knew he ‘was doing something stupid’, he said.
Large crowds had gathered outside court this morning for the hearing which comes at the midway point of a case that has made headlines around the world for its sordid nature.
Dressed as elegantly as ever Mrs Pelicot nodded to supporters and thanked one who gave her a good luck card as she made her way through the crowds to the courtroom.
The Pelicot home in the village of Mazan, now known as the house of horrors
Dressed as elegantly as ever Mrs Pelicot nodded to supporters and thanked one who gave her a good luck card as she made her way through the crowds to the courtroom
Mr Pélicot depicted appearing at the courthouse in Avignon on September 11
Mrs Pelicot will be asked by trial judge Roger Arata for her views on the evidence heard so far and it comes as the latest batch of the 50 accused are grilled.
Due to testify this week is Quentin Hennebert, 34, a prison guard who was working at the same time Pelicot was being held in custody at Pontet jail, following his arrest in 2020 for upskirting women in a supermarket.
Hennebert is accused of raping Mrs Pelicot in November 2019 and has also pleaded guilty to the charge.
Four other men will also testify and they have been named as father of four Jean Luc La, 46, delivery driver Florin Rocca, 32, electrician Patrice Nicolle, 55, and Gregory Serviol, 31.
Mother-of-three Mrs Pelicot, has bravely waived her right to anonymity to unmask the alleged perpetrators.
The trial began almost eight weeks ago and has already heard from 30 men with most denying rape claiming they thought they were taking part in a role playing game with a swinging couple, many said that as Pelicot was present ‘consent’ had been given.
The accused face a maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted and are aged between 26 and 74 and come from all walks of life including a journalist, soldier, local councillor, carpenter and fireman.
Abuse took place in the town of Mazan, south of France, and was only uncovered after the man was caught up-skirting women in a local supermarket, prompting officers to search his home
People take part in a march in support of rape victim, Gisele Pelicot, on October 05, 2024 in Mazan, France
Dominique Pelicot is accused of recruiting men online to assault his wife repeatedly over ten years
Dominique Pelicot, who has allegedly drugged and raped his wife Gisele Pelicot, appears during his trial on September 17 (right)
When given a brief opportunity to speak last month Mrs Pelicot said she felt ‘humiliated’ at having been labelled an ‘alcoholic and conspirator’ during the initial part of the hearing.
Since the trial started, French people have come out to support her in their droves, with many organising protests up and down the country, the latest being held last weekend.
One was held in Mazan, where most of the attacks took place, with hundreds marching through the sleepy Provence town to show their support of her.
The trial in Avignon has heard man after man claim that Pelicot had ‘tricked’ them into taking part in his twisted fantasies of the rape and humiliation of his wife – many of which were filmed.
Last month, Pelicot stood in the dock and admitted his guilt – and accused all his co-defendants of each having been willing conspirators.
He told the court: ‘I am a rapist – like everyone else in this room.’
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