Dominique Pélicot blames his wife for being raped by 72 men: “She didn’t want to sleep with me”

The 71-year-old defendant did not attend the hearing on Monday after his lawyer asked the judge that he had suffered “medical problems” within the past 48 hours for not receiving “adequate treatment.”

The one who did testify this Monday was the psychologist Anabelle Montagne, who stated that during a conversation in prison with Pélicot, in December 2020 – a month and a half after his arrest – he admitted to having carried out the campaign of sexual abuse against his wife Gisèle.

“My wife and I had a discussion about swinging; She didn’t agree, so I drugged her“, Montagne told the Criminal Court of the Vaucluse department.

The psychologist added that Pélicot loved his wife, but lHe saw her as “a sexual object to satisfy his needs” “sexual and narcissistic.”

He also revealed that Pélicot regretted that the trial had ruined his lifeand that he and his wife could have continued happily married if the case had not been uncovered. “He claims that everything could have continued as before if he had not been arrested. ‘Gisele wouldn’t have found out anything, we would have continued being happy.“, he said.

His statements come after the analysis presented by the expert who was commissioned by the Justice to carry out the psychological analysis of Pelicot, Annabelle Montagne, who defines him as a self-centered narcissist who had an uncontrollable desire to fulfill his sexual fantasies.

Montagne insisted that He did not present mental problems nor did he have mental pathologies which prevented him from discerning right from wrong. A fundamental element when it comes to holding him criminally responsible.

He also stated before the Vaucluse Criminal Court that No addictions were detected, other than possibly to sexwhich resulted in very frequent use of pornographic content, and which had a tendency towards voyeurism.

As for his wife, He conceived it as an object to fulfill his needs and his desires, rather than a person he had to respect.

Dominique Pélicot presented himself as a respected and appreciated family man (he has three children with Gisèle and six grandchildren), with correct psycho-affective functioning and with stable personal relationships both in his private and professional life.

Dominique Pelicot’s lawyer, Béatrice Zavarro, stressed to the press after the presentation of the expert report that There is “a great dichotomy” in the personality of his client: On the one hand he behaved like a man who was “helpful, kind, good in every way”, and on the other “who discovers himself at night through his deviations”.

Zavarro wanted to highlight from his reading of the psychological report that retirement and the family’s move to the southeast of France (he had previously lived in the Paris region) had weakened some barriers and brought to light a dark personality that could have originated from abuse he himself suffered as a child.

Complaints of the accused

On the other hand, those accused of having raped Gisèle have announced this Monday a volley of complaints about the attacks that they and their families say they are suffering.

In a statement read to the press by lawyer Isabelle Crépin-Dehanene, during a break in the trial, the defense attorneys for the 51 defendants complained that over the weekend there were reports of “criminal behavior.”

Specifically, they stated that Some of their children have been attacked in their schools, that some of their wives or other relatives have been insulted, that they have received threatening calls or that there has even been an attempted break-in at a home.

The lawyers stressed that “the seriousness of these events“This has led them to ask the Public Prosecutor’s Office to launch criminal proceedings to “prevent any new form of violence” because they fear “attacks against the physical integrity of the accused and their loved ones.”

This week they plan to file “about fifteen complaints” with the courts and there will be more in the coming weeks.

The lawyers noted that since the start of the trial on 2 September before the Vaucluse Criminal Court in the French city of Avignon, there have been individuals and associations that have leaked personal information about their clients on social media.

They pointed out that among the documents published on the networks there are photographs taken in court, while in France it is absolutely forbidden to capture and distribute images, videos, or even audio recordings during hearings.

They also complained that some of those involved in the process, such as judicial experts or investigators, have used a “vocabulary” that violates the rights to the presumption of innocence and a fair trial.

Shock in France

According to the findings of the investigation into the case, Gisèle Pelicot, who is now 71 years old, She was raped dozens of times between 2011 and 2020 by dozens of men whom her husband, Dominique, had contacted so that, in a kind of voyeuristic practice, they could have sexual relations with her, although she was unaware of anything because she was under the effects of tranquilizers.

It all came to light in September 2020 when Dominique Pélicot was arrested by security guards at a supermarket in the city of Carpentras for filming up the skirts of several women.

When the police went to analyze his computer equipment they came across Thousands of photos and videos showing his unconscious wife and the abuses to which she had been subjected were visible.

Gisèle Pelicot testified last week and said she wants everything to be known so that prevent other cases of women suffering from chemical submission.

In total, in addition to Dominique Pélicot, There are another 50 men who have been identified. and who are being tried for the crime of aggravated rape, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

The trial has caused a stir in France and the victim’s lawyers have publicly asked that no online fundraisers be held for Gisèle Pélicot, as the victim does not want such support.