Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Nîmes Appeals Court Increases Sentence to 10 Years in Gisèle Pelicot Rape Case

Judges affirmed that unconsciousness or silence cannot constitute consent, dismissing any notion of delegated permission.

Overview

  • Husamettin Dogan, the only one of 51 convicted men to pursue an appeal, saw his prison term raised from nine to ten years after prosecutors asked for twelve.
  • The court rejected claims that the acts were not rape or that the husband could authorize sexual access to his spouse.
  • Investigators said the videos were unequivocal, showing Pelicot inert while Dogan penetrated her as she lay unconscious.
  • Pelicot confronted Dogan in open court during the appeal, sustaining a public stance she adopted in the 2024 trial to shift shame to perpetrators.
  • Dominique Pelicot, who drugged his wife from 2011 to 2020 and organized the assaults, received a 20-year sentence in 2024 and testified during the appeal with limited impact.