Shocking rape trial highlights the systematic struggles French sexual abuse victims face

AVIGNON, France (AP) — The trial of dozens of men accused of raping an unconscious woman whose husband repeatedly drugged her over the course of nearly a decade has highlighted the difficulties that sexual violence victims can face in France.

Dominique Pelicot, 71, and his 50 co-defendants face up to 20 years in prison if they're convicted at a trial that has shocked the world and riveted the French public.

Pelicot tearfully acknowledged in court that he's guilty of the allegations against him, and he said all of his co-defendants understood exactly what they were doing when he invited them to his home in Provence between 2011 and 2020 to have sex with his unconscious and unwitting wife, who divorced him after learning what he had done to her.

Despite evidence including meticulously archived photos and videos that Pelicot shot of the alleged rapes, some of the defendants’ lawyers have scrutinized Gisèle Pelicot’s private life and motives, even questioning whether she was truly unconscious during some of the encounters. Although they must defend their clients to the best of their abilities, the lawyers' tactics have outraged advocates for the sexually abused, who say the attorneys show that victim-blaming is alive and well in France.