In a chilling case that sent shockwaves not just in France but also all around the world, a 72 year old man, Dominique Pelicot, was convicted for using an online dating platform to solicit and conduct the repeated rape of his wife, Gisele.
Pelicot orchestrated all the plans, through which Gisele was raped by 70 men over 200 times.
He admitted to recruiting men online to sexual abuse his wife, who was raped at their home during the decade-long period that the abuse occurred in the small village of Mazan. The app allowed him to access a large number of men from many walks of life, including firefighters, journalists, and nurses.
Arranging the assault:
Pelicot first drugged Gisele, leaving her unconscious, and invited the men-these were often groups of several men-into their home.
According to her police reports quoted by new agency CNN, he actively communicated with these men through the Internet, first in chat rooms and subsequently by way of explicit forums like Coco.fr.
Pelicot would first meet the men online in chatrooms and then shift the conversations to Skype, where he would show them his unconscious wife and share her explicit images and videos.
Through these online exchanges, Pelicot created a network of men who were encouraged to take part in the ongoing abuse.
Despite Gisele’s complete lack of awareness of her husband’s actions, the physical and emotional toll upon her was immense. She often sought medical help, complaining of memory loss and pelvic pain which indicated the prolonged abuse.
It was only when Pelicot was arrested in 2020 for a separate offence, filming upskirts of women in a supermarket, that the full extent of his crimes came to light.
The discovery of Pelicot’s disturbing online activities has opened a much larger conversation about digital spaces that enable and encourage sexual violence.
While the website Coco.fr has been shut down, the case serves as a sober remainder of the disturbing reality that continues to thrive on similar platforms, fostering misogynistic and violent discourse.
Gisele’s decision to waive her anonymity and testify publicly against the men who participated in her abuse has made this trial a landmark case in France. With the verdict expected on December 19, the trial has sparked widespread debate about the need for stronger regulations on digital platforms and more stringent laws around consent.
Dominique Pelicot, along with several co-defendent, has pleaded guilty to the charges of rape, while others argue that they did not view the abuse as a crime, claiming that a husband’s consent was enough. Pelicot himself has expressed no remorse, stating that the responsibility for the crimes lies with all of the men involved.