PARIS, France – Seventeen men convicted in the harrowing Pelicot mass rape trial have filed appeals against their verdicts, the prosecutor’s office in Avignon confirmed on Monday, December 30, 2024.
The case, which involved 51 defendants, has shocked France and drawn international attention to systemic violence against women.
The trial, which concluded earlier this month, resulted in all 51 men being found guilty of rape or sexual assault.
Over a period of nearly a decade, Jacques Pelicot orchestrated the rape of his then-wife, Gisèle Pelicot, at their home in the village of Mazan.
Pelicot habitually drugged Gisèle with sedatives before inviting more than 50 men to assault her.
Appeals Filed Ahead of Deadline
Monday marked the final day for appeals. Pelicot himself, who received a 20-year sentence—the maximum allowed under French law for aggravated rape—chose not to appeal.
His lawyer, Béatrice Zavarro, told French media that Pelicot decided against appealing to spare Gisèle further trauma.
“Today he considers that the judicial page must be turned and that we must consider this chapter closed,” Zavarro said.
Fourteen of Pelicot’s co-defendants, along with Pelicot himself, pleaded guilty to rape during the trial.
Others denied the charges, with some claiming they believed a husband’s consent sufficed.
One man was convicted of attempting to replicate Pelicot’s crimes by drugging and assaulting his own wife.
Sentences ranged from three to 15 years, with some defendants receiving shorter terms than prosecutors sought.
Several men were given suspended sentences, sparking public outrage.
A Survivor’s Strength
Gisèle Pelicot’s bravery has been lauded throughout the case.
She waived her anonymity to bring the trial into public view, hoping it would empower other victims to come forward.
“I am thinking of all the unrecognized victims of stories, which often unfold in the shadows. I want you to know we share the same fight,” Gisèle said outside the courtroom at the trial’s conclusion.
In court, Gisèle questioned the actions of her assailants, “Rape is rape. When you walk into a bedroom and see a motionless body, at what point (do you decide) not to react… why did you not leave immediately to report it to the police?”
Her words and her courage have resonated deeply in France, fuelling debates about systemic misogyny and the need for reform in addressing sexual violence.
A Wake-Up Call for France
The Pelicot case has been described as a watershed moment, forcing the nation to confront the entrenched cultural and systemic issues that enable violence against women.
Advocacy groups have seized on the trial’s findings, calling for stronger legal protections and more severe penalties for sexual crimes.
While the appeals process continues, the trial has already left an indelible mark on public discourse in France, amplifying the voices of survivors and underscoring the urgent need for change.
