Gisele Pelicot’s sons have confronted their “devil” father in court docket, with one saying he wished to vomit when his mom revealed how he had let strangers rape her for years.
Ms Pelicot, 72, was allegedly sedated and repeatedly raped by Dominique Pelicot and at the very least 50 different males whereas she was unconscious.
She has waived her proper to anonymity and insisted the trial in southern France needs to be public to disgrace her attackers.
Her eldest son, 50-year-old David Pelicot, testified on Monday and described how revolted he was when he found what had been happening.
“My mother told me that this man in court before us delivered her strangers to rape her. When I was told, I wanted to vomit,” he mentioned.
“We wanted to make this man disappear from the house. Within two days there were no more photos, no more clothes or any trace of him.”
He added: “It feels like my childhood has been erased. Growing up, when my parents organised surprise parties for us, my friends would tell me how lucky I was to have a father like I did.
“Now none of my pals can perceive how he has carried out this.”
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David (left) and Florian testified on the court docket in Avignon. Pic: Reuters
David Pelicot additionally accused his father of taking nude images of his personal spouse whereas she was pregnant, and mentioned he believed his sister’s claims he had drugged her to take images of her in her underwear.
Dominique Pelicot has beforehand confessed to all the costs, bluntly telling the court docket: “I am a rapist just like all the others in this room.”
Nevertheless, lots of his co-defendants have mentioned they believed Ms Pelicot was pretending to be asleep as a part of a role-play, or that they have been pressured by her now ex-husband.
Gisele Pelicot’s youthful son, 38-year-old Florian Pelicot, additionally testified on Monday and in tears advised his dad “four years ago I lost my father” and “my children have lost their grandfather”.
“You called my mum a saint, but you in fact are the Devil,” he added.
Florian Pelicot additionally described one event when he mentioned he phoned the home and his father claimed his mom wasn’t accessible as she had “gone out to buy bread”.
“I asked him to get her to call me back. I didn’t hear from her for another two days,” he mentioned.
Dominique Pelicot, 71, allegedly put sedatives in his spouse’s meals to make her unconscious earlier than the attackers got here to rape her.
He recorded hundreds of images and movies of the abuse, a few of which have been performed in court docket.
Pelicot is claimed to have cleaned his spouse’s physique after the assaults and given the lads orders so she wouldn’t wake, together with warming their palms, not carrying aftershave or smelling of cigarette smoke.
Particulars revealed within the ongoing trial in Avignon have shocked France however the braveness of Gisele Pelicot has been extensively praised.