Prosecutors seek up to 14-year terms in French rape trial

French prosecutors have demanded sentences of up to 14 years for some of the remaining co-defendants of a man charged with enlisting dozens of strangers to rape his wife while she was drugged and unconscious.

Yesterday, prosecutors requested a maximum 20-year jail term for Dominique Pelicot, who has been on trial in the southern city of Avignon since September with 49 other men for organising the rapes and sexual abuse of Gisele Pelicot, now his former wife.

One man is being tried in absentia.

The case has sparked horror, protests and a debate about male violence in France, with tens of thousands of protesters staging demonstrations across the country on Saturday against violence targeting women.

The decade-long abuse of Ms Pelicot by Mr Pelicot was only uncovered when he was arrested for a separate upskirting offence, leading investigators to discover his meticulously-kept records of the visitors to the family home in the town of Mazan.

Prosecutors are outlining their sentencing demands for all the defendants, who come from professions ranging from the fire brigade to the media.

Public prosecutor Laure Chabaud asked for a 14-year sentence for Karim S, 38, who was one of the few defendants whose messaging with Mr Pelicot was discovered by investigators.

For Florian R, 32, who did not admit "intent" and Gregory S, 31, who was "aware of Gisele Pelicot's altered state," Mr Chabaud demanded thirteen years in prison.

Some defence lawyers have described the sentencing demands as "staggering" and "out of proportion", alleging the public prosecutor's office was under pressure from "public opinion".

"I fear what will happen next," said Louis-Alain Lemaire, a lawyer for four defendants.

However public prosecutors say the trial should herald a fundamental change in society.

"In 2024, we can no longer say 'she didn't say anything, she agreed,' that's from another era," Mr Chabaud said yesterday.

Psychological reports

Prosecutors asked for a 12-year sentence for nine of the remaining defendants, including Boris M, 37, who claimed during the hearings that he, too, was a victim.

"He says he was a victim of Dominique Pelicot, like Gisele Pelicot," prosecutor Jean-Francois Mayet said.

However "at no time did he seek or obtain Gisele Pelicot's consent", he said, adding, "in reality, he was pleased with the situation presented to him" by the main defendant.

Prosecutors sought a 12-year sentence for Mahdi D, 36, who also claimed to be a victim of Mr Pelicot's actions.

Mr Chabaud also asked for 12-years for Lionel R, 44, who said he was taking "part in a couple's fantasy".

Many of the accused argued in court that they believed Pelicot's claim that they were participating in a libertine fantasy, in which his wife had consented to sexual contact and was only pretending to be asleep.

Among them, 33 have also claimed they were not in their right minds when they abused or raped Gisele Pelicot, a defence not backed by any of the psychological reports compiled by court-appointed experts.

'Denies responsibility'

Prosecutors also sought a 12-year jail term for Cyril B, 47, who "was well aware Gisele Pelicot should not be woken up", and for Thierry P, 54, who said Mr Pelicot was "solely responsible", the public prosecutor said.

Mr Mayet demanded the same prison sentence for Omar D, 36, who argued "the husband's consent and presence seemed to be sufficient," and Ahmed T, 54, who "denies any responsibility".

Two other defendants, Redouane A, 40, who said he came to Mazan to "please the couple" and Jean T, 52, who claimed without evidence he was also drugged by the main defendant, are also facing a 12-year jail-term.

Yesterday, prosecutors requested a 17-year prison sentence for one defendant, Jean-Pierre M, 63, who applied Mr Pelicot's practices against his own wife to rape her a dozen times, sometimes in Mr Pelicot's presence.

The trial has made Gisele Pelicot, who insisted the hearings be held in public, a feminist icon in the fight of women against sexual abuse.

Mr Mayet praised her "courage" and "dignity", thanking her for allowing the hearings to be held in public.

The verdicts and sentencing are expected by December 20.