'Monster of Avignon' Dominique Pelicot's grovelling message to serial rape victim wife Gisele

Dominique Pélicot, 71, begged his wife and family for forgiveness on the final day of testimony at the a three-and-a-half month 'aggravated rape' hearing, before the jury retired

A serial rapist dubbed the “Monster of Avignon” who allowed dozens of men to assault his drugged wife spoke at his trial for the final time today.

Dominique Pélicot, 71, begged his wife and family for forgiveness on the final day of testimony at the a three-and-a-half month “aggravated rape” hearing, before the jury retired to consider their verdict. During the trial Pélicot had confessed to inviting scores of men he met online to the family home near the city in the south of France to repeatedly rape and otherwise sexually assault his wife Gisèle Pélicot, 72.

On Monday morning he was given his last chance to speak at the trial in the Vaucluse Criminal Court, in Avignon. Turning his head in the direction of the mother of their three grown up children, who have been at the trial throughout, Pélicot, said: “I would like to start by saluting the courage of my ex-wife, for having to put up with the innuendo that she was complicit (in my crimes). I ask her, and the rest of my family, to please accept my apologies.”

Referring to his arrest in 2020, and to spending the time since in a prison cell, on remand, Pélicot said: “I regret what I have done, making them suffer for four years. I ask them for forgiveness.” He also thanked the court for agreeing to allow him to remain seated on a special chair due to his poor health, which, Pélicot said, “could have been interpreted as a relaxed manner, but was not.”

Turning to his female lawyer, Béatrice Zavarro, who has described herself as “the devil’s advocate”, Pélicot, said: “She made sure I held on to the handrail. Collapsing would have been a sign of cowardice towards my family and an easy way for the accused to agree with them. So, I held on.”

Admitting he would carry an “inner shame” for the rest of his life, Pélicot continued: “I have a shell that I created for myself, otherwise we die in prison.” He added: “The deprivation of no longer seeing your loved ones is worse than the deprivation of freedom. I can tell my whole family that I love them.” Finally, turning to the five professional magistrates who make up the jury in the case, Pélicot finished by saying: “There you go, you have the rest of my life in your hands.”

During his short speech Pélicot also acknowledged he had been “saddled with titles that I rather intend to forget” during the trial. He has been dubbed ‘The Monster of Avignon,’ the ‘Ogre of Mazan’ and ‘The Wolf’ who allegedly trapped ‘clients’ by making them believe he was part of a libertine couple whose wife pretended to be asleep while having sex.

He has since confessed that he was hiding sleeping drugs in his wife’s food to ensure she was unconscious while being raped. Dominique Pélicot said he would remain in his cell “writing poems”. Pélicot stood behind a glass screen in the dock as he spoke. Also in the court were 50 other defendants, aged between 27 and 74, who were also given the opportunity to speak for a final time to try and explain their actions.

Dominique Pélicot and up to 14 others have admitted aggravated rape, while others deny the charge. Prosecutors have called for a life sentence for Pélicot, with a verdict expected on Thursday. Presiding judge Roger Arata invited all the defendants to say a few “short words” on Monday, asking they avoid repeating themselves. “It is obvious that what has already been said would be repetitive, and I could in this case cut the intervention off,” he warned.

After the accused have had their chance to speak, the jury will withdraw to ponder and discuss the sprawling case. “We will go to the deliberation chamber and will not leave until we have made our decision,” said the Judge. He said he hoped verdicts will be handed down at 9.30am sharp on Thursday, adding this was a “theoretical wish,” and that “deliberations could go on until Friday”.