French man, Dominique Pelicot, admits to drugging wife and allowing sexual abuse over a decade

Dominique Pelicot, a 71-year-old man accused of drugging his wife to sleep and allowing dozens of men to abuse her for over a decade, has confessed to all charges in his first testimony since the trial began on 2 September.

Addressing the 50 co-defendants accused of raping his ex-wife Gisèle, Mr. Pelicot stated, "I am a rapist like the others in this room."

"They all knew, they cannot say the contrary," he said. Out of the 50 defendants, only 15 have admitted to rape, while most claim they only participated in sexual acts.

Speaking about his ex-wife, Mr. Pelicot said, "She did not deserve this."

"I was very happy with her," he told the court.

He pleaded with his wife and family for forgiveness, saying, "I ask for forgiveness, even though it is unacceptable."

Gisèle, who had the opportunity to respond shortly afterward, said, "It is difficult for me to listen to this. For 50 years, I lived with a man who I would've never imagined could be capable of this. I trusted him completely."

Although no cameras are allowed in the courtroom, the trial is open to the public at Gisèle Pelicot’s request, as she waived her right to anonymity at the start of the proceedings. Her legal team believes making the trial public would return the "shame" to the accused.

As Gisèle exited the courtroom during a break in the hearing on Tuesday, she was met with applause from those in attendance and smiled as she received a bouquet of flowers.

Since the start of the trial, Gisèle has become a symbol of strength and bravery. Last weekend, thousands of people gathered in cities across France to show their solidarity with her and other rape victims, sparking a national conversation about marital rape, consent, and chemical submission.

Mr. Pelicot, a father and grandfather, began his testimony by recounting traumatic events from his childhood, including abuse by a male nurse when he was nine years old.

When discussing his marriage to Gisèle, Mr. Pelicot revealed that he contemplated suicide after discovering she was having an affair.

Throughout his testimony on Tuesday morning, Mr. Pelicot repeatedly assured the court that he never "hated" his wife and instead was "crazy about [her]... I loved her immensely and I still do."

"I loved her well for 40 years and badly for 10," he added, seemingly referring to the period during which he drugged and abused her.

Mr. Pelicot was then questioned by Stéphane Babonneau, one of Gisèle’s lawyers, who asked him why he couldn’t stop the abuse, even when she began to experience medical issues.