Gisèle Pelicot, whose testimony helped expose one of France’s most disturbing rape cases, returned to court on Monday for the appeal of one of the 51 men convicted of sexually assaulting her.
The appeal was filed by 44-year-old Husamettin Dogan, a former construction worker sentenced to nine years in prison for aggravated rape.
He was among the men who assaulted Pelicot after being recruited online by her husband, Dominique Pelicot, who drugged his wife over nearly a decade and invited strangers to rape her while she was unconscious.
Dogan claims he believed he was taking part in consensual sexual activity and did not realise the victim was unconscious.
His lawyer argued that intent, a key element in French criminal law should be reconsidered in his case.
Dominique Pelicot was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2024 after admitting to drugging and assaulting his wife in their home in the southern village of Mazan.
Police uncovered thousands of videos he recorded of the attacks, which helped identify the 50 co-defendants convicted alongside him.
Gisèle Pelicot arrived at the Court of Appeal in Nîmes accompanied by her youngest son, as dozens of supporters gathered outside holding banners.
Pelicot, who chose to waive her anonymity during last year’s trial, has become a prominent figure in France’s fight against sexual violence.
The new hearing, overseen by three judges and a nine-member jury, is expected to conclude by Wednesday. Pelicot chose to attend in person despite not being required to, with her lawyers saying she felt it was her duty to see the process through.
During the original trial, Pelicot’s decision to make the proceedings public was seen as a turning point in France’s debate on consent and drug-facilitated assault. Her courage in confronting her abusers has been widely praised, both in France and abroad.
Dominique Pelicot, who remains in solitary confinement, is expected to appear as a witness during the appeal. At his first trial, he admitted his guilt, declaring, “I am a rapist, and all the men in this room are rapists.”
The appeal court’s verdict is expected later this week.
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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 24th of February, covering the latest developments you need to...
U.S. President Donald Trump’s new 10% global tariffs have come into effect, hours after the Supreme Court blocked many of his sweeping import taxes in a 6–3 ruling. Allies around the world are weighing possible retaliation, while markets brace for further upheaval.
Torrential downpours have triggered deadly mudslides and widespread flooding in southern Peru, leaving at least seventeen people dead - including fifteen killed in a military helicopter crash - as hundreds of districts across the country remain under a state of emergency.
The U.S. ambassador to France, Charles Kushner, has been banned from meeting members of the French government after not showing up at the Foreign Affairs ministry, where he had been summoned over comments on the killing of a French far-right activist last week, diplomatic sources said on Monday.
Thailand and the United States, alongside 28 partner nations, began Southeast Asia’s largest and longest-running military exercise, the 45th Cobra Gold, on Tuesday (24 February) in Rayong province, Thailand.
Italy said a fond farewell to the Winter Olympics on Sunday with an open-air ceremony in the ancient Verona Arena that celebrated art and sporting achievement at a Games lauded as a model for how to stage such events.
The United States and Iran will hold a new round of nuclear negotiations in Geneva on Thursday as part of renewed diplomatic efforts to reach a potential agreement, Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi announced on Sunday.
Further Iran-U.S. nuclear talks are scheduled in Geneva on Thursday (26 February) as diplomacy resumes over Tehran’s nuclear programme following earlier mediation efforts. But will the talks move Iran-U.S. negotiations closer to a deal, and what should be expected from the meeting?
Mexican authorities said on Sunday that Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho and head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was killed during a military operation in the western state of Jalisco.
Syria has secured a $50 million financing package from the World Bank to support transport infrastructure projects as the country advances its economic recovery efforts, Syrian media reported on Sunday.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s new 10% global tariffs have come into effect, hours after the Supreme Court blocked many of his sweeping import taxes in a 6–3 ruling. Allies around the world are weighing possible retaliation, while markets brace for further upheaval.
Torrential downpours have triggered deadly mudslides and widespread flooding in southern Peru, leaving at least seventeen people dead - including fifteen killed in a military helicopter crash - as hundreds of districts across the country remain under a state of emergency.
The U.S. ambassador to France, Charles Kushner, has been banned from meeting members of the French government after not showing up at the Foreign Affairs ministry, where he had been summoned over comments on the killing of a French far-right activist last week, diplomatic sources said on Monday.
Thailand and the United States, alongside 28 partner nations, began Southeast Asia’s largest and longest-running military exercise, the 45th Cobra Gold, on Tuesday (24 February) in Rayong province, Thailand.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 24th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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