Ukraine imposes nationwide energy consumption limits amid grid crisis
Ukraine has introduced nationwide restrictions on electricity use, enforcing eight-hour daily limits following severe damage to power infrastructure....
French court convicts Dominique Pelicot and 50 others in a harrowing case of spousal abuse, drugging, and rape spanning nearly a decade. Victim Gisele Pelicot hailed for her courage, hopes the verdict sparks change for all survivors of sexual violence.
A French court found Dominique Pelicot guilty on Thursday of repeatedly drugging and raping his wife for almost a decade, and inviting dozens of strangers to rape her unconscious body in a case that horrified the world.
All the Frenchman's 50 co-defendants were also found guilty of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault, while their victim, Gisele Pelicot, sat in the packed courtroom to hear the sentencing, having waived her right to anonymity.
Gisele, 72, has become a stirring symbol of female courage and resilience during the three-month trial and crowds of supporters outside the courthouse in the southern city of Avignon cheered as news of the guilty verdicts filtered out.
Dominique Pelicot, who was married to Gisele for 50 years, had pleaded guilty to the charges and a panel of five judges sentenced him to the maximum 20 years in jail, as requested by prosecutors.
The court found 46 of the other defendants guilty of rape, two guilty of attempted rape and two guilty of sexual assault, handing down sentences of between three and 15 years in jail, less than the four-to-18 years demanded by the prosecution.
All the defendants have 10 days to decide whether to appeal, and Dominique Pelicot's lawyer said her client was considering this.
"Shame on the justice system," some of the waiting crowd chanted when they found out about the lighter-than-requested prison terms.
Many of the accused had denied the charges, saying they thought it was a consensual sex game orchestrated by the couple and arguing that it was not rape if the husband approved.
Dominique Pelicot, 72, denied misleading the men, whom he had met online, saying they knew exactly what they were doing. "I am a rapist like the others in this room," he said during testimony.
Gisele, who is also 72, had demanded that horrifying videos of the serial abuse, which were recorded by her then husband, should be seen in court, saying she hoped this would help other women speak up.
The trial has triggered protest rallies around France in support of Gisele, and spurred soul searching, including a debate on whether to update France's rape law, which at present makes no mention that sex should involve consent.
Gisele stared down her abusers with steely determination day after day, scoffing at any claim she might have been a willing participant. "I've decided not to be ashamed, I've done nothing wrong," she testified in October. "They are the ones who must be ashamed," she said.
HORRIFYING SECRETS
The Pelicots' children, David, Caroline and Florian, arrived in court to hear the verdict alongside their mother. The siblings have spoken out forcibly against their father, rejecting his pleas for forgiveness.
The defendants come from all walks of life - lorry drivers, soldiers, firefighters, security guards, farm workers, a supermarket worker, a journalist and the unemployed. Dominique Pelicot had worked as an electrician and estate agent.
The youngest suspect was just 22 when he entered Gisele Pelicot's bedroom, while the oldest was in his early 70s. Many had children and were in relationships. Most lived within a 50-km (31-mile) radius of the Pelicots' picturesque village of Mazan, which nestles in vineyards below Mont Ventoux.
The case only came to light in 2020, when Dominique was caught trying to take photographs up the skirts of women in a supermarket. Police then discovered more than 20,000 photos and videos on his computer drives revealing the horrifying secrets that he had hidden from his now ex-wife for a decade.
Police believe 72 men had gone to the house to rape and abuse Gisele, but they were not able to identify them all.
Pelicot acknowledged that he had put powerful tranquilizers into his wife's food and coffee that put her to sleep for hours. Gisele said she was worried she was developing Alzheimer's or had a brain tumour because of the memory gaps.
She says she hopes the enormous interest in her case will help other women who have suffered sexual abuse, and brushes off praise for her own bravery in letting the world see her pain.
"It's not courage. It's determination to change things," she told the court in October. "This is not just my battle, but that of all rape victims."
Nokia announced on Tuesday that chipmaker Nvidia will acquire a $1 billion stake in the company.
The deadliest police operation in Brazil's history killed at least 132 people, officials said on Wednesday, after Rio de Janeiro residents lined a street with dozens of corpses collected overnight, a week ahead of global climate events in the city.
Centrist liberal party D66, led by 38-year-old Rob Jetten, has made sweeping gains in the Dutch election, emerging neck and neck with Geert Wilders’ far-right Freedom Party (PVV) in early results — a stunning reversal just two years after D66 ranked sixth.
Reliable sources have confirmed to AnewZ that the United States has asked Azerbaijan to join a Stabilisation Force in Gaza, as part of a proposed international mission to secure the territory.
U.S. President Donald Trump agreed with President Xi Jinping to trim tariffs on China in exchange for Beijing cracking down on the illicit fentanyl trade, Trump said.
British actress Prunella Scales, best known for playing the formidable Sybil Fawlty in comedy show "Fawlty Towers", has died age 93, her sons said in a statement on Tuesday.
American media personality Kim Kardashian said she had been diagnosed with a brain aneurysm, U.S. media outlets reported on Thursday.
The Louvre's ageing security camera system failed on Sunday to detect the thieves in time to prevent their historic heist, the museum's director said on Wednesday as the museum reopened to visitors.
The Louvre, one of the world’s most visited museums, saw its priceless 19th-century crown jewels stolen in just seven minutes.
Ace Frehley, the original lead guitarist of the legendary rock band Kiss known for its powerful sound, theatrical performances, and signature makeup has died at 74, his family announced Thursday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment