The husband of Gisèle, the sedated woman and victim of mass rape, will not testify due to illness

Dominique Pelicot, the man accused of having drugged his wife Gisèle with anxiolytics so that others they sexually abused her in an unconscious state, will not declare as planned this Tuesday in the trial in Avignon (south-east of France) because he has not appeared in court for health reasons.

The president of the Vaucluse Criminal Court, Roger Aratahe announced at the beginning of the hearing this morning and indicated that the declaration will be postponed of the main defendant until he is fit.

Arata has not given details about the health problems that have prevented the appearance of the main accused on a day that was considered key to the process because he had to talk about his personality and the facts, but yesterday he was also absent.

According to his lawyer, Béatrice Zavarro, He complained about his abdomen and everything pointed to a urinary infection which prevented him from both standing and sitting without pain.

The president has refused to suspend the trial until Pelicot can be present again, but he also refused to venture to set a new date for that statement.

The process, in which others also sit in the dock 50 men accused of having abused their wives, Gisèle – from whom he has been divorced since August – began on the 2nd and should finish one or two weeks before Christmas.