A CHILLING monster who drugged his wife so 72 men could rape her over the course of 10 years has revealed a twisted new detail in court.
After dodging giving evidence due to poor health, Dominique Pelicot, 71, took the stand at the Vaucluse Criminal Court, in Avignon, on Tuesday.
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The vile grandfather made the twisted claim he recruited scores of men to rape his wife Gisèle Pélicot because he was “utterly idle” in retirement.
Pélicot is on trial alongside 50 other men charged with “aggravated rape” of his wife.
He now faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of the horror crimes.
Asked by a defence lawyer how he “picked up dozens of strangers” to rape his wife, Pélicot said: “I didn’t pick anyone up, they came and got me themselves.
“They asked me and I said yes. They agreed and came to my home. I didn’t handcuff anyone to my home.”
He told the court there was a tripod and camera in the bedroom, “for all to see”, and that he respected everyone who turned up.
He said: “I trusted these men who knew why they were coming.”
There was also intense drama when Pélicot faced his only daughter, Caroline Darian, in court.
His daughter has previously claimed that she was also drugged by her sicko father.
However, he denied the claim in court.
Speaking to his daughter in court, he said: ‘Caroline, I never drugged you or raped you. It’s not possible to say that. I never did that.”
Ms Darian, who uses a pen name, has written a book called “And I Stopped Calling You Danny”.
In it, she claims that her father drugged her, and has launched a pressure group called “Don’t Send Me To Sleep,” to raise awareness about “chemical submission”.
The court also heard Pelicot had “considered suicide” at one point, after learning that his wife was having an alleged affair.
He said: “I got into the car, and drove intending to crash into a row of trees but lacked the courage to go through with it.”
In earlier court proceedings, the twisted pensioner said he still loved his wife.
Speaking for the first time about his crimes, the sick grandfather admitted to the heinous mass rape of Ms Pélicot that stretched for almost a decade.
Wearing a grey shirt, the French pensioner shuffled into court using a cane to support himself and owned up to his crimes.
He said: “Today, I maintain that, with the obligations we all have, I am a rapist, like everyone in this room. They cannot say otherwise.”
How you can get help
Women’s Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – [email protected].
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
However, as the cross-examination continued, a tearful Mr Pélicot shockingly insisted he “still loves” his ex-wife.
He said: “I loved her well for 40 years and loved her badly for 10 years … I ruined everything, I lost everything. I should never have done that.”
Speaking about his now-ex-wife- Pelicot said he “was very happy with her” and admitted she “did not deserve this.”
“We had three children, and grandchildren, whom I never touched,” he added.
He continued: “I am accused of many things. We are not born perverts, we become them.
‘TORTURE CHAMBER’
Police found images on Mr Pélicot’s camera and laptop that showed multiple alleged rapes of his wife between 2011 and 2020.
Ms Pélicot had remained silent during the first three days of the rape trial but took the stands last Thursday to speak about the harrowing case.
The brave mum stood tall and faced dozens of men accused of sexually assaulting her while she allegedly lay unconscious.
Ms Pélicot said she does not know how she survived the atrocities that spanned over nine years by her husband who she thought was the love of her life.
She described the bedroom where she was raped as a “torture chamber”.
“I don’t know how I survived … I ask myself how I am standing before you,” she told the court.
The mum even said she could have never “imagined” she was drugged “even for a single second”.
“I lost 10 years of my life. Those are years I will never get back.”
Ms Pelicot revealed she thought of taking her own life, but with the support of her family and children, she gathered the courage to build a new identity.
Ms Pélicot could have chosen to stay anonymous and let the trial happen behind closed doors under French laws.
But she decided to come out and speak of the horror she faced as she told the court “no woman should suffer” what she did.
You’re Not Alone
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
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