Dominique Pelicot Sentenced to 20 Years for Decade-Long Abuse of Wife

The French court also convicted 50 accomplices, while investigations into additional crimes and appeals are ongoing.

Dominique Pelicot, 72, was sentenced to the maximum 20 years in prison for drugging, raping, and allowing 72 men to assault his wife, Gisèle Pelicot, over nearly a decade.
Fifty co-defendants were found guilty of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault, with sentences ranging from three to 15 years, though some have already filed appeals.
Police uncovered over 20,000 videos documenting the abuse, as well as evidence suggesting Pelicot may have assaulted other women, including his daughter and daughters-in-law.
Authorities are investigating Pelicot's potential involvement in two cold cases, including the 1991 rape and murder of an estate agent in Paris and a 1999 attempted rape linked to his DNA.
Gisèle Pelicot, praised internationally for her courage, has expressed relief at the verdict but remains prepared to face any new trials tied to ongoing appeals or investigations.