A French court on Thursday rejected the appeal of a former construction worker found guilty last year of the aggravated rape of Gisele Pelicot, and increased his prison sentence by a year to 10 years, his lawyer said.
Husamettin Dogan was the only one of 51 men convicted in last year's harrowing mass rape trial, which stunned France and attracted worldwide attention, to appeal against his guilty verdict.
Pelicot's husband, Dominique Pelicot, drugged her over nearly a decade, recruiting dozens of men online to rape her while she was unconscious. All of the Frenchman's 50 co-defendants were found guilty of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault.
Gisele Pelicot, 72, emerged as a prominent feminist figure in France and abroad after waiving her right to anonymity and testifying against her alleged abusers in court — a move that turned the trial into a broader reckoning over the prevalence of sexual violence.
She returned to court in the southern city of Nimes this week to face Dogan.
Dogan's lawyer Sylvie Menvielle told Reuters ahead of the appeal that her client believed he was participating in a libertine threesome and he did not know at the time that Gisele Pelicot had not given her consent.
In French criminal law, intent is crucial in assessing guilt.
Menvielle said her client accepted the court's ruling.
New strikes were reported by Iranian media overnight, including attacks near Iran's only functioning nuclear power plant around the port city of Bus...
Andy Burnham is on the brink of becoming Labour leader and prime minister after securing the overwhelming backing of Labour MPs in the first round of ...
The 4th Shusha Global Media Forum will bring together nearly 160 media leaders, experts and officials from 54 countries in Azerbaijan's historic city...
New strikes were reported by Iranian media overnight, including attacks near Iran's only functioning nuclear power plant around the port city of Bushehr. A U.S. official said that Washington was still committed to finding a resolution with Tehran and that technical talks were continuing.
Andy Burnham is on the brink of becoming Labour leader and prime minister after securing the overwhelming backing of Labour MPs in the first round of leadership nominations.
China has successfully tested an experimental rocket recovery system using a net attached to an offshore platform, marking a major step in its efforts to develop reusable rockets and compete with U.S. space technology.
Georgia's imprisoned former president has announced plans to rebuild the opposition party he chairs as honorary president and under whose banner he ruled the country for nearly a decade.
It has been a punishing week for large parts of China, and forecasters warn the worst may not be over. After Typhoon Maysak left a trail of destruction and at least 23 people dead, Super Typhoon Bavi is now threatening the country's eastern coast.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the memorandum of understanding signed with Iran to end the conflict was "over", adding he did not want to engage with Tehran, calling the Iranian leadership "sick people".
The death toll from Venezuela's twin earthquakes has risen to 3,811, according to figures released by National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez on Wednesday.
At least 12 people have been killed in forest fires in Almeria in southern Spain, Andalucía’s emergency agency has said, as firefighters continue efforts to put out the blaze.
The U.S. military said on Wednesday it launched fresh strikes on Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping, triggering Iranian attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain in the latest escalation to derail efforts to end the war.
China's technology sector is producing billion-dollar startups at its fastest pace in nearly five years, with artificial intelligence and robotics driving a new wave of investment that is reshaping the country's innovation economy.
Andy Burnham is on the brink of becoming Labour leader and prime minister after securing the overwhelming backing of Labour MPs in the first round of leadership nominations.
The 4th Shusha Global Media Forum will bring together nearly 160 media leaders, experts and officials from 54 countries in Azerbaijan's historic city of Shusha on 13-14 July, to discuss journalism’s role in peacebuilding, restoring public trust and tackling challenges.
Ukraine and the United States have reached a political agreement on licences to produce Patriot missile interceptors in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday.
The French region of Corsica has cleared the latest hurdle to pave the way toward gaining powers to pass its own laws in housing, local economy and culture, after France’s National Assembly approved a bill granting the Mediterranean island unique autonomous status within the country.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment