Once again, these campaigners’ eyes will be on the French appeals court as it hears the high-profile case of Gisele Pelicot. This week is the beginning of Husamettin Dogan’s retrial. Dogan, a 44-year-old construction worker who has since been arrested and charged with aggravated rape. This unbelievable incident has gripped the public’s attention and ignited an international firestorm of anger. Home Dominique Pelicot, Gisele’s husband, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the crime. He did confess to his complicity and decided against appealing the ruling.
Dominique Pelicot was found guilty of drugging his wife and selling her to strangers on the internet. He documented the maltreatment at their home in Mazan and elsewhere. His actions have been so cavalier that they pose serious questions about consent and accountability in the context of this case. Specializing in photographing and filming homemade videos of the assaults, he was sentenced to 20 years for his crimes.
It is the position of Husamettin Dogan that he did not plan to rape Gisele Pelicot. He alleges Dominique Pelicot cheated him out of his winnings. He continues to maintain that he did not know what transpired prior to the attack. Throughout his first trial, prosecutors at one point asked that Dogan receive 12 years in prison. Ultimately, the court chose to ground the sentence reduction in a nine-year prison sentence.
Dogan is still appealing his nine-year sentence and contesting the conditions under which he was convicted. The retrial is only scheduled to last four days at most, with a verdict likely coming Thursday. If convicted on all charges, the maximum possible sentence he faces is 20 years behind bars.
As the retrial gets underway, attention isn’t waning. Proponents of Gisele Pelicot continue to make waves. Their sentiments were echoed when one supporter commented, “Thank you!” standing in solidarity with Gisele for her courage.
Through this difficult period, Gisele Pelicot has been a vocal critic and defender. She defiantly announced, “I’m not the one to be ashamed…Shame needs to go to the other side.” Her powerful statement illustrates how serious she is about taking on the stigma which often surrounds victims of these brutal crimes.
Her case still remains at the forefront of important conversations about victim’s consent, mental health, and advocacy for victims of sexual assault. Pellicot’s sentencing and Dogan’s upcoming retrial could make all the difference in raising public awareness about sexual violence. Their results will have a large impact on legal proceedings in France and elsewhere.
