Gisèle Pelicot's Sons Say Their Dad Should Be 'Punished' for Drugging Her So Dozens of Men Could Rape Her

The sons of Gisèle Pelicot — the French woman whose husband admitted to drugging her and having scores of men rape her over the course of several years — testified at their father’s trial and called for his punishment.

The trial of Dominique Pelicot, 71, Gisele’s husband, has shocked observers from around the world after he said he had drugged her and filmed the rapes for nearly a decade from 2011 to 2020, according to U.K. paper The Times.

On Monday, Nov. 18, Dominique and Gisele’s children; sons David and Florian; and daughter, whose pen name is Caroline Darian; all testified at the trial in Avignon, France, according to Reuters, The New York Times and France 24.

“Our family has been destroyed,” David Pelicot said, according to Reuters. “I expect from this trial that … these men, and [Dominique], will be punished for the horrors they inflicted on my mother.”

According to the outlet, David, 50, also said the family destroyed pictures of his father.

Florian Pelicot echoed his brother’s call for punishment, asking for a lengthy sentence “so that victims no longer need to be afraid of speaking up,” according to Reuters. 

The New York Times reported that Florian also testified that the case had led to the dissolution of his own marriage.

Darian, who had previously testified earlier in the trial, said Monday that she also now believes she was drugged and abused by her father.

“The only difference between her and me is the lack of evidence concerning me,” Darian said, according to France 24. “For me, it’s an absolute tragedy.”

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A total of 51 men are on trial accused of raping Gisele, though several more are believed to have also sexually assaulted her.

Gisèle was unaware of the alleged rapes until police told her after they discovered thousands of photos and videos taken by her husband, who had documented the assaults after recruiting strangers through the internet, The New York Times reported, citing the investigating judge’s report.

Dominique had previously been arrested in December 2020 after allegedly filming up the skirts of three women, prosecutors said.

Gisele, 71, also spoke to the court for a final time Monday, calling it a “trial of cowardice,” according to Reuters.

“It’s time that the macho, patriarchal society that trivializes rape changes … It’s time we changed the way we look at rape,” Gisele reportedly said.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.