Gisele Pelicot's daughter tells 'monster' dad he will 'die alone like a dog' as family claims mass rape jail sentences 'too low'
Gisele Pelicot leaves court to cheers from supporters
GB News
The children of Gisele Pelicot have claimed the jail sentences given to some of the men who raped their mother are “too low”, with some set to be released in just five years.
Yesterday, Dominique Pelicot was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being found guilty of orchestrating and participating in the mass rape of his ex-wife Gisele.
Gisele, 72, was unknowingly given a mix of sleeping pills and tranquillisers by her 71-year-old husband in a bid to knock her unconscious, so he could invite men he met online to come to his home in Mazan, near Avignon, to rape her.
Fifty-one men, including Dominique, were found guilty at the courthouse in Avignon.
Gisele Pelicot (R) speaks to one of her lawyers, beside her daughter Caroline Darian (C) and her son Florian Pelicot (L),
Getty
The French court found 47 of them guilty of rape, two guilty of attempted rape and two guilty of sexual assault.
As the sentences were read out, Gisele’s children reacted with disapproval to some of the verdicts.
When sentences of five years were given out to four of the men, one of Gisele’s children shouted: “It's not possible.”
“The children are disappointed by these low sentences,” said a family member, who asked not to be identified, after the verdict.
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Gisele said that the trial had been a 'very difficult ordeal'
Reuters
Over a ten-year period, Gisele Pelicot, 72, was unknowingly given a mix of sleeping pills and tranquillisers by her husband to knock her unconsciousGettyDominique was found guilty of aggravated rape, attempted aggravated rape of the wife of one of the co-accused, Jean Pierre Marechal, Cillia, and taking indecent images of his daughter, Caroline, and his daughters-in-law, Aurore and Celine.
As Dominique’s sentence was read out, his daughter Caroline Darian yelled at him: “You will die alone like a dog in jail!”
Dominique had already pleaded guilty to the charges during the trial.
Prosecutors asked that he get the maximum penalty after he admitted to drugging his wife of 50 years, and allowing other men to rape her whilst he filmed it.
Gisele began to believe she was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, whilst the years of abuse caused her to have gynaecological issuesReuters
Pelicot appearing at the courthouse in Avignon, France, September 11, 2024ReutersHis lawyer said that no decision had yet been made on whether Pelicot will lodge an appeal, which he can do within the next ten days.
Speaking outside the court following the sentencing, Gisele said that the trial had been a “very difficult ordeal” but thanked those who supported her throughout.
Asked by a reporter what her thoughts on today's sentencing were, she said: "I respect the courts and I respect the decisions.”
She added that she never regretted waiving her right to anonymity and “opening the doors” to the trial so that society could see what took place.
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