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Gisèle Pelicot’s ex-husband will not appeal prison sentence for drugging and raping her and allowing dozens of other men that he was also raping her while she was unconscious, his lawyer Monday said.
Dominique Pelicot was sentenced to 20 years in prison after a trial that shocked the world.
His lawyer, Béatrice Zavarro, argued that Pelicot wanted to spare his ex-wife the trouble of another trial.
She said in a televised interview that 17 of the 50 other men found guilty this month had decided to appeal their sentences after a trial that lasted more than three months.
Pelicot, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison, spent almost 10 years searching for aliens he invited to the family home to rape his wife while she was heavily drugged with sleeping pills.
The 72-year-old was found guilty of rape, while his 50 co-accused they were also found guilty of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault.
A court in the southern French city of Avignon handed down sentences ranging from three to 15 years in prison for 50 men — found guilty of raping, attempting to rape and sexually assaulting Giselle Pellicot over a period of nearly a decade.
The court found Dominique Pelicot guilty of rape and all other charges against him and sentenced him to 20 years in prison, which was the maximum amount possible. At the age of 72, he could spend the rest of his life behind bars. He will not be eligible to apply for early release until he has served at least two-thirds of his sentence.
Charlie Arbaugh, a 30-year-old vineyard worker, is one of the men said to have filed a complaint.
Arbo went to Pelicot’s home on six separate occasions and was sentenced to 13 years in prison. He is also accused of raping her on the night of her 66th birthday. Video evidence shows that he discussed drugging and raping his own mother with Dominique Pelicot.
Gisèle, applauded by the whole world for her courage, decided to renounce her anonymity and shed light on the trial in an attempt to “shamefully switch sides” from victim to rapist.