France mass rape case: Sons of Dominique Pelicot demand harsh punishment for inflicting horrors on their mother
France mass rape case: Dominique Pelicot's sons demand harsh punishment for their father, who admitted to drugging and raping their mother for 10 years, inviting dozens of men to join. Trial underway in France, verdict expected Dec 20
Sons of the Frenchman Dominique Pelicot, who organised the mass rape of their mother, have urged a court on Monday to give severe punishment to their father. They also said that they would never forgive him.
Dominique has already admitted in court to inviting dozens of strangers over a period of 10 years to their house to rape his wife, now 71 after he drugged her.
In the heinous case that has rocked France, fifty other men are also accused of raping her.
“Our family has been destroyed,” one of the sons, 50-year-old David Pelicot, told the court in Avignon. “I expect from this trial that ... these men, and that man in the dock (his father), will be punished for the horrors they inflicted on my mother.”
During the trial, Dominique said he wanted to apologise for what he had done, to which David replied: “Never!”
David also said that he and other family members had destroyed photos to make sure they kept no trace of his father.
Speaking at times through tears, David said that he hoped the trial would encourage other women to speak up about rape, echoing previous statements by his mother, who asked for the trial to be held in public to shed light on the abuse.
David's 38-year-old brother Florian told the court of the chaos that followed the news four years ago of the ordeal that their mother had suffered at the hands of their father.
He said his father was dead to him. “It's been four years since I lost my father,” he told the court, crying at times. “Our family has been torn apart.”
Florian also asked the court to impose tough sentences “so that victims no longer need to be afraid of speaking up”.
Under French law, she could have kept her anonymity and had the trial held behind closed doors. The case has triggered protests across France in support of Gisele Pelicot.
Gisele's daughter, Caroline Darian, who had testified earlier in the trial, told the court again on Monday that she believed she had also been abused by her father.
“The only difference between me and my mother is that there is evidence (for the abuse her mother suffered),” she said.
The court's verdict on all the charges and the sentencing is expected around December 20.
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