Monster of Avignon Dominique Pélicot stuns courtroom with shocking admission as he finally gives evidence about drugging his wife and allowing dozens of men to rape her - before she gives emotional response

The 'Monster of Avignon' stunned nan courtroom successful his intimately watched proceedings coming arsenic he admitted to drugging his woman and allowing aggregate strangers to rape her.

Dominique Pélicot, 71, said for nan first clip astir his crimes connected Tuesday greeting aft a play of absence from his proceedings owed to sickness.

'I americium a rapist, for illustration everyone other successful this courtroom,' he admitted coming during a proceedings that has captured nan world's attraction for its standard and horror. 'I recognise nan facts successful their totality'. 

Mr Pélicot stood successful nan dock at the Vaucluse Criminal Court, successful Avignon arsenic he faces proceedings alongside 50 different men, each accused of 'aggravated rape' of his wife Gisèle Pélicot, besides 71, complete a play of 10 years. He faces 20 years successful situation if recovered guilty.

Bravely facing her erstwhile hubby successful court, Ms Pélicot said: 'It is difficult to perceive it.

'For 50 years, I lived pinch a man who I would ne'er person imagined for a azygous 2nd that he could do these acts. I had complete assurance successful this man.'

In turn, Dominique Pélicot past pleaded for sympathy, saying: ‘I americium blameworthy of what I did.

'I subjected my wife, my children, my grandchildren to this. I regret what I did. I inquire for forgiveness moreover if it is not forgivable.’ 

Madame Pélicot looked connected impassively astatine her erstwhile hubby arsenic he shuffled into tribunal utilizing a cane to support himself. 

The courtroom was stunned as Mr Pélicot returned to nan tribunal from a play of absence to confess to his crimes.

'Today, I support that, pinch nan obligations we each have, I americium a rapist, for illustration everyone successful this room. They cannot opportunity otherwise,' he told nan court.

Mr Pélicot besides focused connected alleged crimes he had allegedly suffered arsenic a child, saying he was raped arsenic a 9 twelvemonth old, and past forced to witnesser different activity onslaught erstwhile he was 14.

'I only retrieve shocks and traumas from my youth. She did not merit this. I admit it.'

'We are not calved perverts, we go them. I deliberation that what I person knowledgeable is preponderant successful my story. 

'Even if it is paradoxical, I person ne'er considered my woman arsenic an object. As for pedophilia, I person ne'er wanted that.'

Mr Camus, lawyer for Gisèle Pélicot's children, asked successful tribunal today: 'When do we go perverts?

Mr Pélicot replied: 'We effort to woody pinch what we person experienced. We go perverts erstwhile we meet personification who gives america nan possibilities. Then we go perverts, yes.'

He dated it to a gathering pinch a caregiver who allegedly advised him connected which supplier to springiness to his wife.

‘He gave maine nan dosage,’ said Pélicot. ‘I saw photos of his wife. That was nan infinitesimal it started. I deliberation astir it.’ 

Discussing his appraisal by psychiatrists, Pélicot said he ‘was not calved perverted’. 

Mr Pélicot claimed that he was sexually abused arsenic 9 twelvemonth aged successful infirmary and told nan court: 'It was successful nan dark, I had a bandage and a headache. A feline came and said to me: 'My sanction is Basile, do you want immoderate candy?'

'There were caresses, I felt a moustache, a awesome woody of pain, I didn't understand what was happening to me.' 

Mr Pélicot, a retired electrician, faced his woman successful tribunal connected Tuesday, telling really his life turned astir erstwhile he met her arsenic a teenager.

'I was very happy pinch her,' said Mr Pélicot successful his shocking admission. 'She was nan other of my mother, who was wholly rebellious.

'We had 3 children, and grandchildren, whom I ne'er touched.'

He said Gisèle Pélicot 'did not merit this.'

At nan extremity of nan short statement, Ms Pélicot lowered her head, putting her sunglasses on.

Mr Pélicot antecedently told psychologists that his woman was to blasted for his actions because she refused to spell swinging pinch him.

Psychologist Annabelle Montagne told nan tribunal successful Avignon that she interviewed Mr Pélicot successful December 2020 - a period and a half aft he was taken into custody - wherever he admitted to carrying retired nan run of maltreatment of his woman Gisele.

'Pélicot said: "My woman and I had a chat astir swinging but she didn't work together truthful I drugged her'',' nan scientist recounted.

To nan court, Ms Pélicot said nan taxable had travel up astatine a nightclub, but she said she 'didn't want to get involved'.

As nan cross-examination continued connected Tuesday, a tearful Pélicot insisted he ‘still loves’ his ex-wife.

‘I loved her good for 40 years and loved her severely for 10 years,’ said Pélicot. ‘I ruined everything, I mislaid everything. I should ne'er person done that.’

Pelicot claimed he besides ‘still loves’ his 3 big children, saying: ‘They are successful my heart.’

He moreover praised his daughter, Caroline Darian, for founding a protestation group against alleged ‘chemical submission’ – nan drugging of rape victims.

Pélicot besides admitted that videoing nan crimes against his woman was ‘a portion of nan pleasure’, but he was gladsome that astir of nan men who had activity pinch his woman had been identified.

‘There is besides a measurement of reassurance, since today, acknowledgment to [the videos], we tin find each those who participated successful what went on,’ he said.

Other defendants successful tribunal were visibly angry arsenic Pélicot criminalised them all. ‘He manipulated us,’ 1 shouted.

Mr Pélicot has been connected remand since 2020, erstwhile he was first arrested connected suspicion of gassing and past raping Ms Pélicot, while inviting men he contacted online to do nan same.

Madame Pélicot has told nan tribunal that she had to get tested for HIV arsenic 'one man who came [to rape me] six times was seropositive'. 

Mr Pélicot is facing a jailhouse condemnation of up to 20 years, on pinch each nan different defendants.

Last week, psychologists described Mr Pélicot arsenic a 'Jekyll and Hyde' characteristic who appeared for illustration a normal hubby during nan day, and past drugged his woman truthful strangers could rape her astatine night.

All nan attacks took spot successful nan couple's marital location successful nan municipality of Mazan, southbound of France, betwixt 2010 and 2020, constabulary say. 

His daughter, Caroline Darian, 46, past week told nan tribunal that he was 'one of nan top intersexual predators' of caller years.

She said he secretely photographed her successful nan nude, on pinch her 2 sister-in-laws.

Mr Pélicot was first arrested successful September 2020 for secretely filming up women's skirts astatine a supermarket successful Carpentras.

His devices were searched, and location were hundreds of pornographic videos and photos of women.

It was while successful custody that Mr Pélicot reported a difficult drive, hidden nether a printer, which contained a record called 'Abuses'.

Police uncovered sickening pictures of Ms Darian, and Mr Pélicot's 2 daughters-in-laws, successful a haul immoderate 200,000 images and videos.

The files contained nan nicknames and telephone numbers of different alleged attackers, together pinch immoderate 3,800 photos and videos of Gisèle Pélicot being raped, betwixt 2011 and 2020.

Detectives person listed a full of 92 rapes committed by 72 men, 51 of whom person been identified.

Mr Pélicot's activity ringing progressive advertizing connected a tract for 'partners' connected a now-deleted online forum called 'Without Her Knowing' connected nan coco.fr site.

Of nan 83 men involved, 51 aged betwixt 26 and 73 were identified and arrested by nan police.

One, still astatine large, will beryllium judged successful absentia. 

Mr Pélicot is said to person sedated his woman by putting a powerful anxiolytic into her evening dinner.

Alleged rapists progressive successful nan lawsuit see civilian servants, ambulance workers, soldiers, situation guards, nurses, a journalist, a municipal councillor, and motortruck drivers.

In a abstracted case, Mr Pélicot has been charged pinch raping and murdering a 23-year-old property supplier successful Paris successful 1991.

He has admitted 1 attempted rape successful 1999, aft DNA testing proved a lawsuit against him.

The Avignon aggravated rape lawsuit is owed to past until December 21.

Fourteen of nan different defendants person besides admitted rape, while nan remainder contradict immoderate wrongdoing.

Mr Pélicot had been expected to beryllium cross-examined astatine nan Vaucluse Criminal Court successful Avignon past week.

But his ineligible squad insisted connected Thursday greeting that was not good capable to springiness grounds because of abdominal symptom and a suspected bladder infection.

He concisely appeared successful tribunal connected Wednesday morning, but defence barrister Beatrice Zavarro confirmed connected Thursday that he was ‘still ill’ and would not beryllium showing up.

Mr Pélicot had been vomiting and fainting successful his situation cell, wherever he has been connected remand since 2020, successful betwixt visits to infirmary for curen and tests.

Last Wednesday, nan tribunal heard really different man connected trial, named only arsenic Jean-Pierre, 63, allegedly learned from Mr Pélicot really to supplier and rape his ain wife. 

The 'disciple' is not among nan 51 men connected proceedings for attacking Mrs Pélicot.

The erstwhile lorry driver was claimed to person spoken to Mr Pélicot successful an online chatroom called 'Against her knowledge'. 

Mr Pélicot is past alleged to person provided sedatives for 'Jean-Pierre' to supplier his wife, earlier travelling to rape her himself. 

Mr Pélicot is alleged to person met Jean-Pierre successful nan now defunct chatroom, earlier agreeing to sojourn him to present sedatives and rape his woman pinch him.

'Each clip that [Pélicot] travelled [there], he provided him pinch nan medicine for nan adjacent time,' lead interrogator Stéphan Gal told nan court.

Mr Pélicot's lawyer said he had supplied Jean-Pierre pinch nan narcotics arsenic galore arsenic 4 times.

Jean-Pierre's 32-year-old boy from different matrimony said he felt it a 'certainty' his begetter had been manipulated by Pélicot.

'I person nan patient condemnation that had he not met this person, location would ne'er person been immoderate of this,' he said.