Man accused of plotting wife’s rape by at least 50 strangers over almost 10 years is on trial in France

Camille Knight, Emmanuel Miculita and Caroline Baum, CNN

(CNN) — A man is connected proceedings accused of many times drugging and raping his wife, arsenic good arsenic encouraging dozens of different men to rape her successful their location while she was unconscious, tribunal documents show.

The alleged victim, Gisèle, 72, appeared successful a courtroom successful Avignon, France, connected Monday for nan opening of nan trial, sunglasses on, her girl and 2 sons by her side.

For nan adjacent 4 months, she will travel look to look pinch her accused abusers, astir of whom are complete strangers to her.

Prosecutors opportunity nan defendant, Dominique, 71, would enlistee men online to rape his wife, aft drugging her pinch sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medication. CNN is not utilizing nan afloat names of nan man and woman to protect nan identities of different family members.

He faces 9 charges including respective counts of rape pinch aggravating circumstances, nan drugging of a unfortunate to perpetrate rape, and nan sharing of images related to those assaults.

Prosecutors were capable to put together a lawsuit because Dominique documented a number of nan alleged assaults connected camera.

Held successful pre-trial detention since 2020, courtroom sketches show nan suspect entered nan courtroom successful a achromatic T-shirt and sat facing his wife.

“He recognizes that he’s done what he has done,” his lawyer, Béatrice Zavarro told journalists successful tribunal connected Monday. “There was not an ounce of contestation during nan full investigation.”

In nan dock, nan men accused of taking portion successful these rapes sat pinch their heads down.

Police person identified astatine slightest 92 intersexual assaults committed by 72 men, pinch ages ranging from 26 to 74, tribunal documents show.

Fifty were identified, and astir person been charged pinch either aggravated aliases attempted rape and are opinionated proceedings alongside Gisèle’s husband.

The ordeal lasted almost 10 years, nan first alleged assaults making love backmost to 2011.

The crimes came to ray successful 2020 erstwhile Dominique was caught filming nether women’s skirts successful a shopping center.

After constabulary seized his telephone and computer, they opportunity they recovered grounds of nan rapes. An investigation was opened, and nan woman was made alert of nan maltreatment she had endured for almost 10 years.

Court documents show that Dominique has told investigators that nan different men were each alert his woman had been drugged without her knowledge, thing a number of nan different defendants deny.

Christophe Huguenin-Virchaux, a lawyer for 1 of nan men told CNN connection BFMTV connected Tuesday that his customer “admits that intersexual relations did successful truth return place” but that they took spot arsenic portion of a “sexual crippled betwixt a hubby and his woman that he was invited to,” adding that he was “not alert that Gisèle was drugged aliases nether medication.”

Throughout nan trial, Gisèle will spot and perceive what was done to her.

On Tuesday, she sat done a reference of nan horrific acts she was subjected to, arsenic good arsenic nan arguments from each of nan defendants’ lawyers.

“It was very difficult,” 1 of her lawyers, Stéphane Babonneau told CNN connected Tuesday. “It was unbearable for her to perceive group opportunity they thought she was pretending to slumber and were convinced it was consensual,” he added.

Last Friday up of nan trial, different 1 of her lawyers, Antoine Arebalo-Camus told reporters “she had nary thought what had been inflicted connected her, truthful she has nary representation of nan rapes she suffered for 10 years.”

Gisèle could person requested nan proceedings beryllium held privately, but Babonneau told CNN “she wanted it to beryllium a nationalist proceedings truthful that everyone tin perceive and get an thought of nan excuses fixed by men successful specified circumstances.”

Gisèle’s girl says her mother sought aesculapian proposal for nan representation nonaccomplishment and utmost fatigue she was experiencing arsenic a broadside effect of nan drugs.

Speaking to French media successful respective interviews, she said that her mother “saw doctors, she saw neurologists,” and that nan aesculapian occupation grounded to observe nan problem.

The girl has now started an consciousness run called “M’endors Pas,” meaning “Don’t put maine to sleep” connected drug-facilitated intersexual assault.

The proceedings began connected Sept. 2 successful nan confederate French municipality of Avignon, and a verdict is owed connected Dec. 20 this year.