Gisele Pellicote rape case: 17 people appeal against conviction

Dominic Pellicott, the 72-year-old man who drugged and raped his wife Gisele and recruited dozens of men to rape her over more than a decade, will not appeal his 20-year prison sentence , said his lawyer Beatrice Zevro.

However, 17 of the 49 men convicted of raping or sexually assaulting Ms Pellicott on Dominic’s orders have said they will appeal.

Even more may come before the window for filing appeals closes at midnight on December 30.

Ms Zavaro told French media that Dominique Pellicot – who has pleaded not guilty – had decided not to appeal because he did not want to impose a “new trial” on Ms Pellicot, who spent most of the 15-week trial. Appeared in court for. ,

“He felt this decision was consistent with the position he had always taken in the trial, namely that Ms. Pellicott was not and never had been his opponent,” Ms Zevro said. Case.

He will have to be present in the court as a witness during the hearing of the appeal.

Although Ms Pellicot is under no obligation to attend the proceedings, her lawyer Stéphane Babonneau told French media that she “will face the appeals. She is not afraid of that, although she clearly wanted it to end there.” Lets do it.”

Under French law, a new trial must be held within the next 12 months. However, unlike the first trial, this one would be decided by a jury composed of three magistrates and nine members of the public.

Although this would not result in a harsh sentence, the enormous resonance and media coverage of the trial may mean that juries will be less lenient than judges.

Although they will be scrutinized closely, lawyer Hansu Yalaz told the BBC, “The members of the jury are human beings like you and me and they may have preconceptions.”

Those who have appealed include Charlie Arbo, now 30, who was sentenced to 13 years in jail for raping Ms Pellicott on six separate occasions when she was 20 .

Construction worker Simon McKenzie, 43, and nurse Redouane El Farihi, 55, who were sentenced to nine and eight years respectively, have also appealed.

Several men argued that Pellicott had “tricked” them into raping his wife, and that they were not aware that she had not given her consent.

McKenzie’s attorney Yannick Pratt said, “From the beginning, my client has said that … he never intended to rape Gisele Pellicot.” He said the nine-year prison sentence was “disproportionate”.

He acknowledged that facing a popular jury would likely result in a harsher sentence, but said he would be “absolutely happy” to work with the jurors.

“I would ask them to put themselves in the shoes of each party in this lawsuit,” he said.

Lawyer Louis-Alain Lemaire said that one of his clients, who was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment, was appealing against the guilty verdict because “there was no criminal intent on his part”.

But other defense lawyers believe an appeal would be a risky gamble.

On the day the verdict was delivered, lawyer Patrick Gontard told the BBC that appeals are usually filed in the hope of shaving a few years off a prison sentence, but everyone, including his client, had already been given a reduced sentence. was asked by the prosecutor.

Dominique Pellicott – whom his daughter Caroline once called “one of the worst sexual predators of the last 20 years” – drugged, raped, and tortured others for at least a decade. Instigated to rape.

He filmed several rapes, which helped investigators trace dozens of men. Fifty were eventually arrested, but approximately 20 individuals were never identified and are believed to still be at large.

The court found 47 people guilty of rape, two guilty of attempted rape, and two guilty of sexual assault.

Six people were released from court, in most cases because they had already spent time in pre-trial detention.

The proceedings – which lasted from September to December – attracted worldwide attention thanks to Gisele Pellicot’s decision to waive her anonymity and open the trial to the public and media.

She said she did it to help other victims of rape: “I want them to say: If Madame Pélicotte did it, I can do it too.”

She said, “Rape victims often feel ashamed, but it is not our responsibility to feel ashamed. It is their responsibility.”