A rape case that has shaken France in recent months and caused a stir in the international media will enter the decisive phase on Monday.
This happens when the closing remarks take place.
Here the prosecutors will tell what punishment they are demanding for a total of 50 accused men in the case. The main defendant is 71-year-old Dominique Pélicot, who is accused of drugging and arranging the rape of his now ex-wife.
He and the 49 other men aged 26 to 74 are believed to have participated in the mass rape of Gisèle Pélicot over a number of years.
Dominique Pélicot has pleaded guilty to all charges during the trial.
According to the French news agency AFP, the case is closely followed by at least 138 different media – including 57 from abroad.
Among other things, it has been discussed in Chile, where the country’s speaker of parliament on Thursday paid tribute to Gisèle Pélicot’s “courage and honour”.
The trial, which takes place in southern France’s Avignon, is open to the public at Gisèle Pélicot’s request. Among other things, she wants to draw attention to the drugs that are used to commit sexual assaults.
Several of the men who allegedly raped Dominique Pélicot’s ex-wife have said that they were of the belief that the woman pretended to be asleep, but that she had consented to having sex with them.
One of the accused men has explained that Dominique Pélicot presented the idea as “the couple’s fantasy” and assured that all parties had given their consent.
The closing remarks in the case are expected to take place on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. About a quarter of an hour has been set aside for each of the defendants.
Testimony concluded last week after 11 weeks of court hearings.
The case’s five judges are expected to be ready with the sentencing by December 20 at the latest. The sentence for the most serious rape charge, which the majority of defendants face, is 20 years.
It is expected that Dominique Pélicot will be sentenced to the highest possible sentence.
/ritzau/AFP
Source: www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk
