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So many times, I said to myself
how lucky I am
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to have you at my side.
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A kind and considerate man
who I trusted entirely.
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How can the perfect man
have got to this?
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How could you have betrayed me
like this?
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How could you have brought
these strangers into my bedroom?
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We're going to take you to France.
This is a really distressing story.
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A 71-year-old has admitted drugging
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and raping his wife
over a period of ten years.
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He also invited other men
to do the same.
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This case has captured
the imagination of the world.
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It's unlike anything
we've ever seen before.
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Many questioning now,
how such dreadful sexual violence
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could take place on such a big scale.
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He was able to manipulate
everyone around him for years
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without them having any idea
of what was going on.
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There are around 72 different men.
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But they can't identify all of them.
Who are these men?
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The majority of the accused,
they still deny responsibility.
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He didn't tell me
that he was going to drug his wife.
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I don't know about the others,
but for me, I'm not a monster.
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The rest of the courtroom
fell completely silent,
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as Gisèle Pelicot said she wanted
to address her ex-husband directly.
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I've covered
many court cases of rape.
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Normally, there's one accused,
there is one victim,
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there's almost no one in the court.
The courtroom is packed.
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There's so much
that's so unusual about this trial.
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You have journalists and then lawyers
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and lots of accused
who's all around you.
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I've never seen
before in a courtroom
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where you had the accused
sitting all around you.
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Most particularly something
that's this sensitive.
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In September 2024, a trial began
that would shock the world.
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At the center of it
was 72-year-old Gisèle Pelicot.
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Her husband Dominique admitted
drugging and raping her
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for almost a decade.
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Alongside him stood 50 other men,
all accused of raping
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or sexually assaulting
an unconscious Gisèle,
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whilst Dominique filmed them.
All have been found guilty.
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Some of them have admitted to rape
and pleaded guilty.
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Others have said
that they were duped,
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that they were manipulated
by Dominique Pelicot
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into believing this was a sex game.
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Some of them have said,
"I didn't intend to rape that woman."
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"I am not a rapist."
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Despite the video evidence
against them,
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the level of denial has been aided
by the French law around rape,
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which has no mention
of the word " consent".
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Many of them have hung their defense
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that they never intended
to rape her.
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They went there for a threesome
and time and time again,
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the main judge has asked
each of these defendants,
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"Did you talk to her?
Did you get consent from her?"
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And they have all said,
"No, I did not talk to her."
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"I never got consent from her."
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But the long-lasting effect of this
will be conversations in France
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and across the world really saying,
how did we get here?
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Is the misogyny so ingrained
in French culture?
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The world has watched on
and in a matter of weeks,
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Gisèle Pelicot has become
an iconic figure.
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Her stand has highlighted
issues of shame,
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consent and sexual violence.
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They tell me I am brave.
I say it's not bravery.
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It's will and determination
to change society.
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Seeing the images from courtroom
and outside, you must remember
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that every day,
Gisèle is walking past the men
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who are accused of raping her.
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They have their hoods up,
they wear masks, balaclavas,
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they cover their faces
in order to hide their identities.
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And then you have this woman
striding past them.
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Entering the court to applause
from the public gallery.
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And every day, she has to find
the strength to face them.
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People across the world have shown
their support for Gisèle Pelicot.
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From messages scrawled on walls
near the courthouse,
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to mass protests of thousands
across numerous cities.
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This is a story about domestic abuse
writ large with rape
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and then you have strangers involved.
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So, I think the horror of that,
the relatability of Gisèle Pelicot,
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and her brave and very rare decision
to make the court case public.
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And because she did that,
that is why this is a global story.
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This story that has become global
has shaken Mazan terribly.
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Situated 21 miles
northeast of Avignon,
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it's a small, medieval village
with a population of just over 6000.
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It was here the Pelicots lived,
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and it was here
that Gisèle suffered years of abuse.
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It is a peaceful town
which has been destroyed by this case
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because people now equate Mazan
with the rape cases.
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People have had enough of hearing
about the case.
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They don't understand why people
associate the name of their town
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with this rape case.
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Locals have seen the story labelled
on French news as the Affair Mazan.
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The name of their home has become
inextricably linked to the trial
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and splashed across the headlines.
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Well, this story, my God.
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It falls on us a bit like a meteor,
like a meteorite,
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because you could never have imagined
something like this.
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One local is Marion,
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who runs a center
for victims of sexual violence.
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All at once, this quiet village
is seen by the whole world.
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Media from all over the world
come to pick them apart
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and we are not prepared for this.
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There's frustration that the village
has been tarnished
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with only three defendants,
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including Dominique
being from Mazan.
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Most of the suspects lived
within a 40-mile radius.
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But there is also tension
and suspicion.
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While the police have identified 50
of the men filmed by Dominique,
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another 22 suspects remain at large.
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And what's more, it's a village
that it is traditional, patriarchal.
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So a case like this, involving abuse,
rape and sexuality,
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is taboo, nobody talks about this.
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Regardless of where these crimes
took place,
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so many are wondering
how they could have happened.
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It's scary that all this came out
effectively by chance.
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This all starts to unravel
for Dominique Pelicot
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when he's caught by a security guard
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upskirting a woman
in a supermarket in Carpentras.
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{\an8}He was filming under your dress
with his phone!
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The video that Dominique took
of him upskirting this woman emerges.
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And what we see is his face
wearing a Covid mask
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and his camera
subtly slip towards her skirt.
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He's then confronted
by a security guard.
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He was filming under your dress
with his phone!
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- No.
- Yes! You file a complaint?
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- He was filming under your dress!
- That's four people.
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It's true. We follow him
on the camera, that's four times!
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Come on, to the Police now!
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When he's caught,
it's the careless mistake of someone
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who has been meticulous
in keeping secret his perversion.
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He's had this irrepressible desire
to upskirt this woman.
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We should have found them.
There are three others.
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You're a really disgusting person.
Yeah, really disgusting.
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That's why this case
is so terrifying,
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is that we know
there are so many instances
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of sort of "minor" sexual crimes
like upskirting
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that aren't investigated properly.
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And it was only
because the police took this action
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that they found out
what was going on.
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When speaking to police,
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Dominique claimed
he had been overcome by urges
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as his wife had been away from home
for a month.
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He said this is out of character.
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Dominique Pelicot sits her down
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and starts crying and tell her,
"Gisèle, I've done a big mistake."
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"I've done something stupid.
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"I've been caught taking videos
of women's crotch
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under their skirts. Upskirting."
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And she pauses a moment,
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she thinks about it,
40 plus years together.
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She knows she can forgive him,
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but she says,
"You must apologize to this woman."
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"And if you do that ever again,
I'm out. I'm leaving you."
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And he apologizes,
he says, "It'll never happen again."
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But little does she know
the scale of abuse
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that he's perpetrated
over the last ten years.
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In 50 years of life together,
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he had never made
any obscene gestures.
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I tell him,
"I will forgive you this time,
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but there won't be a next time."
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He was filming with his phone.
He was filming under your dress!
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In September 2020,
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Dominique Pelicot
is stopped by a security guard
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for upskirting women
in a supermarket.
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Inspired by legislation
introduced in the UK,
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it's an act that was made illegal
in France in 2018.
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The security agent plays
a very important role in this story,
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because if he hadn't insisted
on the woman who was being filmed
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going to the police station,
she might have never done it.
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She might have thought,
"This guy's a weirdo, but whatever."
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I'll just go home and forget
about this incident and moving on.
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Come on, to the Police!
You stay there. You don't move.
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Madam, I am counting on you
to file a complaint.
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But a video was leaked of that day
in the French media,
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and you can clearly hear
the security agents saying,
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"Madame, you need to go
to the police."
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"This is the fourth time
he's doing it today."
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"You have to press charges."
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And she did it and that led
to the police investigation.
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Images in the French media show
how cameras caught Dominique
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using a bag with a hidden device.
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So, he's been arrested for, you know,
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what some people would say
is a minor sexual crime.
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It's a drop in the ocean compared
to what's been really happening.
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Later, police find in the bag
that he had with him a camera,
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a camcorder and some condoms.
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Dominique Pelicot,
he had two phones in his bag.
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The police investigator found
something on one of those phones.
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There was only one app on the iPhone,
it was Skype.
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And so, he opened Skype,
and he saw all these images,
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photos of women lying unconscious
on their beds
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and naked men around them.
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And he decided to call his superior
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and to launch an investigation
into this matter.
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All of Dominique's digital devices
from his home were seized.
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On a USB stick, police discover
a folder titled "Abuse."
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Inside it, they found
meticulously labeled folders
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containing more than 20,000 videos
and photos.
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They appeared to show different men
having sex with one woman.
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At the time, police don't know
what's going on.
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They noticed that it's the same woman
in every video,
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and then later, they realize
that that is Pelicot's wife.
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With so much evidence, the police
faced a long investigation.
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Who were these men?
Was any of this consensual?
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Could they be watching one woman
being subjected to years of abuse?
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They began to dig into the lives
of Dominique and Gisèle Pelicot.
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They walked a very private life,
quiet life.
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Had three children,
raised them in the Paris region,
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had seven grandchildren.
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Then retired, moved down to the south
of France as a typical family.
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Nothing all that interesting
or notable about them.
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I think that makes it
super relatable.
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For all intents and purposes,
they had a happy retirement.
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She said they had quite a happy
and fulfilling marriage.
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He made a lot of meals,
I saw that as him being attentive.
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One night, he came to collect me
at Avenal Station
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after ten days
with my grandchildren.
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He had already prepared the meal.
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Two plates were already in the oven.
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I put olive oil on my potatoes,
and he put butter,
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so it was easy to see
which plate was his.
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We would have a glass
of white wine together.
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Often, when there was
a football match on TV,
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I'd let him watch it alone.
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He brought me my ice cream to bed,
my favorite flavor, raspberry.
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I told him, "How lucky I am."
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"You're a love,
you really take care of me."
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Despite their
seemingly idyllic life,
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there were signs
that something might be wrong.
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As early as 2013,
when the couple first moved to Mazan,
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Gisèle was having some health issues,
so she's experiencing memory loss.
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She was losing her hair,
losing weight.
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I think it was the memory loss,
that really started to flag
235
00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:35,680
to the wider family
that something was going on.
236
00:19:36,360 --> 00:19:39,880
It was this very awkward,
weird sensation
237
00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:43,000
where she felt like she was losing
conception of time
238
00:19:43,080 --> 00:19:45,320
and losing her life.
239
00:19:45,400 --> 00:19:49,720
Her life was kind of escaping her.
So, she went to three neurologists.
240
00:19:49,800 --> 00:19:52,720
She thought maybe she had
Alzheimer's.
241
00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:56,640
Dominique was being
incredibly supportive,
242
00:19:56,720 --> 00:20:00,920
so Gisèle was being driven crazy,
wondering what was going on.
243
00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:04,760
But knowing that she had
this supportive husband beside her.
244
00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:08,520
He's telling her that she'll be fine,
245
00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:11,840
that she's got nothing
to worry about.
246
00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:15,640
No one could tell her exactly
what was going on.
247
00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:18,560
No one could think of the unthinkable
248
00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:21,640
and no one could imagine
the unimaginable.
249
00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:29,520
And it was only when Dominique
was caught upskirting women in 2020
250
00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:32,760
that suddenly things started
to slip into place.
251
00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:39,440
It's two months after Dominique
has been arrested
252
00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:42,440
for upskirting in a supermarket.
253
00:20:42,520 --> 00:20:46,640
Gisèle has forgiven her husband,
254
00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:50,760
but then, they are summoned
to the police station.
255
00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:55,320
They have a normal morning together
in the house
256
00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:58,760
and then they drive
to the police station.
257
00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:05,400
Gisèle thinks that this is linked
to the upskirting incident.
258
00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:10,840
There's this powerful moment
when Gisèle sees her husband
259
00:21:10,920 --> 00:21:14,440
being called upstairs
to be questioned.
260
00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:17,560
And she stays downstairs,
and they exchange a look,
261
00:21:17,640 --> 00:21:21,400
having no idea that this is
the last time she'll see her husband.
262
00:21:27,560 --> 00:21:30,800
The officer said,
"I will show you some things
263
00:21:30,880 --> 00:21:33,880
which you will not find pleasant."
264
00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:37,640
He opened a folder,
and he showed me a photograph.
265
00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:43,240
It was hard to recognize myself
dressed up like that.
266
00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:48,240
Then he showed me
a second photo and a third.
267
00:21:48,320 --> 00:21:53,160
I asked him to stop.
It was unbearable.
268
00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:58,240
I was inert, in my bed
and a man was raping me.
269
00:21:58,320 --> 00:22:01,880
My world fell apart.
270
00:22:01,960 --> 00:22:04,480
You can't stop yourself thinking,
271
00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:07,400
what would it be like
to be Gisèle in that moment?
272
00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:11,840
The idea that you could be looking
at somebody who is beside you
273
00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:15,480
when you're in a moment
of weakness and illness
274
00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:18,440
and you feel so grateful to them,
275
00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:21,800
and find out later
that they've been betraying you
276
00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:26,920
in one of the most awful ways
imaginable, it's really sinister.
277
00:22:28,360 --> 00:22:32,560
It's also the night
where she tells her children.
278
00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:37,040
She calls her daughter first
and she tells her,
279
00:22:37,120 --> 00:22:39,880
"I've got something horrible
to tell you."
280
00:22:39,960 --> 00:22:46,120
And she tells her that her father
had been raping her for many years
281
00:22:46,200 --> 00:22:51,560
and inviting unknown men to have sex
with her while she was unconscious.
282
00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:55,800
And it's just an earthquake,
a shock wave in the family.
283
00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:20,680
We have arrived in the town of Mazan.
284
00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:25,160
Mazan is a fairly peaceful town,
it's very quiet.
285
00:23:25,240 --> 00:23:29,040
Where there is not much to do.
286
00:23:29,120 --> 00:23:33,720
It's a small Provençal town
where life is good.
287
00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:44,240
We are approaching the place
where he made them park their cars.
288
00:23:47,560 --> 00:23:50,520
Close to the stadium
which is right here.
289
00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:05,960
This is where he told them to park,
the men who he met on the internet.
290
00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:20,680
Dominique Pelicot came on foot
to meet them in person.
291
00:24:20,760 --> 00:24:24,120
Sometimes he arrived
in his underwear,
292
00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:26,840
with a dressing gown on top,
293
00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:31,080
and then they'd walk
towards the house.
294
00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:37,320
They had to walk about 100 meters
to reach the cul-de-sac
295
00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:40,240
where the couple's house was located.
296
00:24:53,160 --> 00:24:55,120
This is it, it's here.
297
00:24:57,720 --> 00:25:01,720
This is where it all happened
from 2013 to 2020.
298
00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:07,040
In a very peaceful, remote place,
in a nice house.
299
00:25:07,120 --> 00:25:11,240
And it's here that this horror scene
happened for many years.
300
00:25:28,360 --> 00:25:32,800
Gisèle has been confronted
with videos showing her husband
301
00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:36,680
and other men having sex with her
while she is sleeping.
302
00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:43,960
Investigators have to piece together
how this could have happened.
303
00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:48,720
The police establish from the videos
304
00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:52,320
that this has been going on
for about ten years.
305
00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:03,880
In 2011, the Pelicots
have been married for 40 years
306
00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:06,680
and are living in Paris.
307
00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:12,520
They are grandparents,
living a happy, peaceful life.
308
00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:17,840
Dominique had started doing
the cooking at home
309
00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:20,840
some years earlier.
310
00:26:20,920 --> 00:26:24,960
So he took perverse pleasure
in telling her,
311
00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:29,360
"My darling, I'll make dinner,
you can relax," etc.
312
00:26:33,760 --> 00:26:37,400
Under the pretense
of caring for his wife,
313
00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:40,440
Dominique started to drug her.
314
00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:45,520
Pelicot was using
a drug called Temesta...
315
00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:51,000
...an anti-anxiety medication.
316
00:26:51,080 --> 00:26:54,600
Temesta, otherwise known
as Lorazepam,
317
00:26:54,680 --> 00:26:59,480
is used to treat anxiety
and sleeping problems.
318
00:26:59,560 --> 00:27:04,320
Dominique was using drugs
he was prescribed by his doctor.
319
00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:07,640
He would crush the drug,
usually three pills,
320
00:27:07,720 --> 00:27:11,320
and he would mix it in the food.
321
00:27:12,440 --> 00:27:17,560
He often cooked with a lot of garlic,
a lot of onion, spices.
322
00:27:17,640 --> 00:27:23,680
Full of taste and fragrances to hide
the taste and the color of the drug.
323
00:27:23,760 --> 00:27:28,920
If he couldn't get it into her food,
he would bring her ice cream.
324
00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:37,360
High dosages of Temesta can cause
someone to lose consciousness.
325
00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:46,080
He brought me my ice cream to bed.
My favorite flavor, raspberry.
326
00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:49,400
I told him, "How lucky I am."
327
00:27:49,480 --> 00:27:52,600
"You're a love,
you really take care of me."
328
00:27:58,040 --> 00:28:03,200
I never felt my heart race,
I didn't feel anything.
329
00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:06,560
I must have gone under very quickly.
330
00:28:09,040 --> 00:28:14,040
The drugs made Gisèle fall
into a deep comatose-like sleep.
331
00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:19,040
If you gave her the Temesta
too early, she would wake up early,
332
00:28:19,120 --> 00:28:22,640
so you had to time everything.
333
00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:26,080
There are a couple of occasions
documented on video
334
00:28:26,160 --> 00:28:32,280
which show Gisèle waking up
and she still had no memory of this.
335
00:28:33,800 --> 00:28:38,480
Pelicot was working out
how to keep her unconscious.
336
00:28:41,680 --> 00:28:45,480
The next day,
I was more tired than usual,
337
00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:50,240
but I was working a lot
and thought it was that.
338
00:28:50,320 --> 00:28:55,960
After drugging Gisèle,
Dominique raped her.
339
00:28:56,040 --> 00:28:59,480
This abuse continued for two years.
340
00:29:07,480 --> 00:29:12,160
In 2013, the couple moved to Mazan.
341
00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:20,320
There, Dominique escalated
his crimes.
342
00:29:20,400 --> 00:29:24,080
He began inviting strangers
to take part.
343
00:29:25,680 --> 00:29:29,680
Pelicot gave the men
quite extensive instructions.
344
00:29:30,880 --> 00:29:36,280
He would tell them to park their car
at a nearby sports center.
345
00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:40,400
So as not to arouse suspicion
of the neighbors.
346
00:29:41,840 --> 00:29:45,800
He'd tell them they weren't allowed
to wear aftershave.
347
00:29:45,880 --> 00:29:49,840
They shouldn't smoke
before they came over to his home.
348
00:29:53,320 --> 00:29:57,760
Dominque was precise and meticulous
in his planning.
349
00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:06,040
When they arrived,
there was a very specific procedure.
350
00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:10,400
They had to wash their hands
and undress in the kitchen,
351
00:30:10,480 --> 00:30:13,880
and especially not make any noise.
352
00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:20,840
He even asked them
to warm their hands on the radiator
353
00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:24,360
because cold hands
could wake Gisèle up.
354
00:30:26,720 --> 00:30:31,680
Pelicot was doing everything he could
to make sure that she didn't awake
355
00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:35,080
or have any suspicions
about what happened that night.
356
00:30:40,720 --> 00:30:45,920
I think he really enjoyed
giving those men that protocol.
357
00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:50,240
It's, "I'm in control of this person.
I own this person."
358
00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:53,840
"If you want access to her,
this is what you need to do,
359
00:30:53,920 --> 00:30:55,800
because I'm the gatekeeper."
360
00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:10,160
It's quiet, they're whispering
to not wake her up.
361
00:31:10,240 --> 00:31:16,400
This is someone who is, literally,
in the deepest sleep.
362
00:31:16,480 --> 00:31:20,520
She's like a corpse.
You know, it's a body.
363
00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:25,720
Her jaw is kind of dropping
on the side, and she's snoring.
364
00:31:29,120 --> 00:31:34,440
They do all these horrible things
to her and she's not moving.
365
00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:38,320
She's obviously passed out
and she's not responding.
366
00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:41,480
Often, she's naked,
or with her clothes pulled up
367
00:31:41,560 --> 00:31:43,880
and her panties pulled down.
368
00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:52,400
The men come up behind her often,
369
00:31:52,480 --> 00:31:57,720
they're often masturbating
to get excited. And you see men...
370
00:31:59,040 --> 00:32:03,560
sticking their penises
inside her vagina, her bum,
371
00:32:03,640 --> 00:32:07,080
her mouth
without ever talking to her.
372
00:32:12,600 --> 00:32:16,480
These are scenes of barbarity.
373
00:32:16,560 --> 00:32:21,800
They regarded me like a ragdoll,
like a garbage bag.
374
00:32:21,880 --> 00:32:26,800
I am lying motionless on the bed,
being raped.
375
00:32:32,120 --> 00:32:34,800
The fetish really comes through.
376
00:32:34,880 --> 00:32:40,320
It's something called Somnophilia
and that is the fetish or the desire
377
00:32:40,400 --> 00:32:46,040
to have sex with someone
who is unmoving and unconscious.
378
00:32:46,120 --> 00:32:50,800
Sometimes it's disturbingly called
the "sleeping beauty" fetish.
379
00:32:50,880 --> 00:32:55,240
This is a criminal act.
He has not requested consent
380
00:32:55,320 --> 00:32:58,040
from his wife
to engage in this activity.
381
00:33:00,280 --> 00:33:04,200
Police are only able to discover
the extent of the crimes
382
00:33:04,280 --> 00:33:07,560
because Dominique had been filming.
383
00:33:07,640 --> 00:33:14,640
Dominique Pelicot
was influenced by pornography.
384
00:33:14,720 --> 00:33:19,800
He was thinking himself
as a movie director.
385
00:33:19,880 --> 00:33:23,520
He videos the sex scenes
or the rape scenes.
386
00:33:23,600 --> 00:33:26,600
There's videos that are on a tripod,
387
00:33:26,680 --> 00:33:29,920
but also often the videos
come in close.
388
00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:32,800
You can hear her ex-husband
directing them.
389
00:33:32,880 --> 00:33:37,880
He'll say like "Softly" or he'll use
some vulgar terms about her,
390
00:33:37,960 --> 00:33:42,720
like "Stick it in the whore,"
or, you know, "She deserves this."
391
00:33:45,320 --> 00:33:49,240
There were hundreds of files,
photos and videos of the abuse.
392
00:33:49,320 --> 00:33:52,560
He meticulously organized them
and archived them.
393
00:33:55,200 --> 00:34:01,120
He was making video montages
of every rape that was committed
394
00:34:01,200 --> 00:34:06,560
and he categorized them by sex scene,
the duration, the date.
395
00:34:06,640 --> 00:34:09,760
He classified
all the video the same way
396
00:34:09,840 --> 00:34:14,120
that you can find them
on pornography websites.
397
00:34:14,200 --> 00:34:17,680
This is someone who loves
what they are doing,
398
00:34:17,760 --> 00:34:20,520
but the planning, the organizing,
399
00:34:20,600 --> 00:34:24,960
the rich fantasy world that someone
like Dominique would live in
400
00:34:25,040 --> 00:34:27,880
is a big part of who he was.
401
00:34:27,960 --> 00:34:31,920
He would've been thinking about this
all of the time.
402
00:34:33,560 --> 00:34:39,160
Over the years,
Dominique started to look elsewhere.
403
00:34:39,240 --> 00:34:44,640
Turning his attention
to his own daughter, Caroline.
404
00:34:44,720 --> 00:34:48,280
Among these thousands of photos,
405
00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:51,720
there were a number of her
in her father's catalog.
406
00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:54,120
A number of them had been erased,
407
00:34:54,200 --> 00:34:58,840
but were reconstituted
by digital experts at the police.
408
00:35:00,720 --> 00:35:06,040
Dominique shared a different picture
of her and her mother online
409
00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:08,800
with degrading comments about them.
410
00:35:10,160 --> 00:35:14,160
There was also a photo montage of her
and her mother
411
00:35:14,240 --> 00:35:16,880
coming out of the bathroom together
412
00:35:16,960 --> 00:35:20,160
that was titled,
"My Slut and Her Daughter."
413
00:35:24,040 --> 00:35:29,320
Photos of the Pelicot's
daughters in law were also found.
414
00:35:29,400 --> 00:35:35,280
They found photos of them,
not sleeping, but fully conscious,
415
00:35:35,360 --> 00:35:38,520
taken with hidden cameras
in the bathroom
416
00:35:38,600 --> 00:35:43,560
when they were getting out
of the bath, naked.
417
00:35:43,640 --> 00:35:48,000
So there is Gisèle,
and all the horror she has suffered,
418
00:35:48,080 --> 00:35:51,800
but there is also the daughter
and the daughters-in-law.
419
00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:59,800
He was that opportunist.
He was the constant voyeur.
420
00:36:04,280 --> 00:36:08,520
Dominique had kept this secret life
hidden for almost a decade.
421
00:36:11,640 --> 00:36:17,480
The psychiatrist evaluation
didn't reveal any mental illnesses
422
00:36:17,560 --> 00:36:20,720
or serious mental disorders.
423
00:36:20,800 --> 00:36:24,320
But he has two identities.
424
00:36:26,200 --> 00:36:30,720
He needed to be able to show up
and act like a loving husband,
425
00:36:30,800 --> 00:36:32,760
like a loving father,
426
00:36:32,840 --> 00:36:36,720
so that he could serve
his greater purpose.
427
00:36:36,800 --> 00:36:40,440
He was able to manipulate everyone
around him,
428
00:36:40,520 --> 00:36:45,360
his children, their friends,
his wife for years
429
00:36:45,440 --> 00:36:49,640
without them having any idea
of what was going on.
430
00:36:51,520 --> 00:36:54,240
For 50 years, I lived with a man
431
00:36:54,320 --> 00:36:59,520
who I never would have imagined
could be capable of this.
432
00:36:59,600 --> 00:37:03,480
For me,
it was someone I trusted entirely.
433
00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:16,400
The deception continued
as Gisèle's health deteriorated.
434
00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:22,360
The signs were there,
435
00:37:22,440 --> 00:37:26,720
but I never knew how to decode them.
436
00:37:26,800 --> 00:37:30,440
He's seeing her getting worried
about her health.
437
00:37:30,520 --> 00:37:34,680
She's losing weight.
He goes with her to see the doctors.
438
00:37:34,760 --> 00:37:37,520
But he says nothing
about what happens.
439
00:37:38,720 --> 00:37:43,000
It's so sinister, like a nightmare.
440
00:37:44,360 --> 00:37:49,520
The things she took as a sign of love
during a time of weakness in her life
441
00:37:49,600 --> 00:37:53,720
was actually how he was able
to perpetrate these crimes.
442
00:37:54,760 --> 00:37:58,000
Dominique had masterminded
a campaign of abuse
443
00:37:58,080 --> 00:38:00,320
and spun a web of lies.
444
00:38:00,400 --> 00:38:02,480
But he hadn't acted alone.
445
00:38:04,560 --> 00:38:11,120
Now, my connection
to this case boils down
446
00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:14,400
to about 20 minutes
447
00:38:14,480 --> 00:38:21,120
when I was in the Pelicots' home
20 minutes.
448
00:38:32,440 --> 00:38:36,040
The police investigation
into the videos
449
00:38:36,120 --> 00:38:40,400
reveals the scale of the abuse
against Gisèle.
450
00:38:40,480 --> 00:38:45,360
They count nearly 200 instances
of alleged rape
451
00:38:45,440 --> 00:38:49,400
carried out by Dominique Pelicot
and 72 others.
452
00:38:49,480 --> 00:38:53,720
They are able to identify
50 of the men.
453
00:38:55,880 --> 00:39:00,480
It troubles me,
the fact that I can't explain
454
00:39:00,560 --> 00:39:04,680
how I got into this situation.
455
00:39:04,760 --> 00:39:10,240
I had this encounter with Pelicot
which was an explosion in my life.
456
00:39:12,480 --> 00:39:15,600
It's a complete cross-section
of society.
457
00:39:15,680 --> 00:39:20,720
The ages range from 26 to 74.
458
00:39:20,800 --> 00:39:26,200
There is a firefighter,
a freelance journalist,
459
00:39:26,280 --> 00:39:28,280
and some retirees too.
460
00:39:28,360 --> 00:39:32,160
A soldier, a nurse,
a prison guard, a baker.
461
00:39:32,240 --> 00:39:36,680
{\an8}You have men who are unemployed,
and they have been described
462
00:39:36,760 --> 00:39:40,720
{\an8}by a Pelicot's lawyer
as an example of "Mr. Average."
463
00:39:43,640 --> 00:39:48,000
Three of the defendants
are from Mazan itself,
464
00:39:48,080 --> 00:39:51,120
including a neighbor
of the Pelicots.
465
00:39:52,520 --> 00:39:57,200
One of them Gisèle recognized
at the police station.
466
00:39:58,840 --> 00:40:03,440
I saw him now and then
in the bakery, I would say hello.
467
00:40:04,520 --> 00:40:06,920
He had once visited their home,
468
00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:11,440
pretending that he was going
to see Dominique about his bike.
469
00:40:16,360 --> 00:40:19,040
He enjoyed cycling,
he had many cyclist friends.
470
00:40:19,120 --> 00:40:23,640
He came out to the Pelicot's house
to see Gisèle in the flesh
471
00:40:23,720 --> 00:40:27,360
before coming back
to allegedly sexually abuse her.
472
00:40:29,880 --> 00:40:33,040
I never thought
he'd come and rape me.
473
00:40:37,720 --> 00:40:41,240
The neighbor denies the allegation.
474
00:40:46,800 --> 00:40:51,480
On other occasions, he had told men
who were eager to see her
475
00:40:51,560 --> 00:40:56,480
before coming to the house
to meet them at the supermarket,
476
00:40:56,560 --> 00:40:59,800
or he'd send photos or videos of her,
477
00:40:59,880 --> 00:41:03,800
so they could see
what she looked like.
478
00:41:04,960 --> 00:41:07,720
The profile of a rapist
is not someone
479
00:41:07,800 --> 00:41:10,720
who you meet in a car park
late at night.
480
00:41:10,800 --> 00:41:15,680
The rapist can also be in the family
or among friends.
481
00:41:20,760 --> 00:41:25,760
The men traveled to Mazan
from up to 40 miles away.
482
00:41:25,840 --> 00:41:30,360
Dominique had found
a method of recruitment.
483
00:41:30,440 --> 00:41:33,080
Once the police
start asking question,
484
00:41:33,160 --> 00:41:39,120
they discover Pelicot was inviting
men to his house via this website.
485
00:41:39,200 --> 00:41:44,960
Dominique had signed up
to a French chatroom called Coco.
486
00:41:45,040 --> 00:41:49,640
It was sort of advertised
as a dating site of sorts
487
00:41:49,720 --> 00:41:53,920
where male users
had their accounts hosted in blue,
488
00:41:54,000 --> 00:41:57,200
women in pink,
but couples were also in pink.
489
00:41:57,280 --> 00:42:00,080
From the outside,
it seemed innocuous,
490
00:42:00,160 --> 00:42:04,600
but inside, it was very different.
491
00:42:04,680 --> 00:42:11,080
Behind its childlike interface,
the chatroom had a dark reputation.
492
00:42:13,680 --> 00:42:18,080
The famous website linked
with a lot of criminal activities.
493
00:42:19,480 --> 00:42:23,520
A sort of free forum gathering pimps,
494
00:42:23,600 --> 00:42:26,720
pedo-criminals, sex buyers.
495
00:42:26,800 --> 00:42:32,320
Just being able to display
sexual content about women,
496
00:42:32,400 --> 00:42:34,920
being able to chat about women
497
00:42:35,000 --> 00:42:39,040
in the most sexist
dehumanizing language too.
498
00:42:42,920 --> 00:42:47,560
Coco allowed users
to hide their real identity.
499
00:42:49,080 --> 00:42:51,720
Dominique used a pseudonym
500
00:42:51,800 --> 00:42:57,800
and he found a chatroom
called "Without Her Knowledge."
501
00:42:57,880 --> 00:43:04,280
This is a discussion forum
about image based sexual abuse.
502
00:43:06,320 --> 00:43:10,120
That is where he invited men
to join him and chat.
503
00:43:10,200 --> 00:43:14,960
His nickname was "a couple seeking
a man for a woman."
504
00:43:15,040 --> 00:43:21,600
He posted pictures of his wife
in underwear on this site,
505
00:43:21,680 --> 00:43:25,880
and said, "Me and my wife
are interested in threesomes."
506
00:43:25,960 --> 00:43:28,840
"Would you like to be involved?"
507
00:43:28,920 --> 00:43:31,920
The conversation would continue
in private,
508
00:43:32,000 --> 00:43:35,080
sometimes by text or on Skype.
509
00:43:35,160 --> 00:43:39,160
He would ask the men for photos
of their face and genitals.
510
00:43:39,240 --> 00:43:43,280
In exchange, he sent photos
of his wife.
511
00:43:43,360 --> 00:43:47,120
The police say that Dominique's
messages were clear.
512
00:43:47,200 --> 00:43:52,120
He invited men to rape Gisèle
whilst she was unconscious.
513
00:43:52,200 --> 00:43:56,800
We know that from one of the adverts,
he actually wrote,
514
00:43:56,880 --> 00:44:00,720
"I'm looking for someone
to abuse my wife asleep."
515
00:44:00,800 --> 00:44:03,880
"You're like me, you like rape mode?"
516
00:44:08,160 --> 00:44:13,360
One of the defendants speaks
on camera for the first time.
517
00:44:13,440 --> 00:44:16,320
He says that he was tricked.
518
00:44:18,200 --> 00:44:20,640
He invited me to his house.
519
00:44:23,200 --> 00:44:27,680
Through a ploy,
520
00:44:27,760 --> 00:44:30,880
he had devised on the Coco chat site.
521
00:44:30,960 --> 00:44:34,760
If he finds a pervert,
he'll tell them I'm drugging my wife,
522
00:44:34,840 --> 00:44:38,480
because he knows they will accept,
523
00:44:38,560 --> 00:44:44,760
but when he is faced
with someone normal,
524
00:44:44,840 --> 00:44:50,400
he will use a trick.
In my case, it was a trick.
525
00:44:53,280 --> 00:44:58,080
We had spoken one night before
and I didn't go round
526
00:44:58,160 --> 00:45:01,440
because I found the man
to be very focused on sex.
527
00:45:01,520 --> 00:45:05,960
I wanted to talk about friendship,
get to know each other, etc.
528
00:45:06,040 --> 00:45:09,080
The next day, he did not give up.
529
00:45:09,160 --> 00:45:15,040
He started talking
about a friendly relationship.
530
00:45:15,120 --> 00:45:21,480
And so, I trust him that he is
a spokesman for his wife
531
00:45:21,560 --> 00:45:25,560
and when he tells me
that his wife consents, I trust him.
532
00:45:28,200 --> 00:45:32,480
I never, even for a single second
gave my consent
533
00:45:32,560 --> 00:45:35,520
to Mr. Pelicot or those other men.
534
00:45:37,040 --> 00:45:39,280
They committed rape.
535
00:45:40,400 --> 00:45:44,240
Not for a moment did these men say
to themselves,
536
00:45:44,320 --> 00:45:47,480
"Is there something wrong?"
537
00:45:53,160 --> 00:45:57,720
I think Dominique really enjoyed
this sinister recruitment process,
538
00:45:57,800 --> 00:46:02,160
finding those right people
and using an online space
539
00:46:02,240 --> 00:46:08,040
as a very clever filtering process
to find those partners in crime.
540
00:46:08,120 --> 00:46:11,800
The question that has stuck with me
during this trial
541
00:46:11,880 --> 00:46:16,760
is how many men did Pelicot approach
who said no, but didn't report it?
542
00:46:19,360 --> 00:46:23,600
Being online, it somehow removes
any form of accountability.
543
00:46:23,680 --> 00:46:28,520
It can desensitize people as well
from the harms that they are causing.
544
00:46:31,400 --> 00:46:36,240
Dominque looked for men to help him
take his crimes a step further.
545
00:46:44,640 --> 00:46:50,680
The only man who is not charged
with rape in this case is Marechal.
546
00:46:50,760 --> 00:46:56,400
He's also known sometimes
as Dominique Pelicot's disciple.
547
00:46:56,480 --> 00:46:59,840
Jean-Pierre Marechal
and Dominique met on Coco.
548
00:47:02,760 --> 00:47:07,520
Marechal, a retired lorry driver
had learned from Pelicot
549
00:47:07,600 --> 00:47:11,400
how to drug his own wife
and invited Dominique
550
00:47:11,480 --> 00:47:16,200
over to his home to rape her
and used the same sedation technique
551
00:47:16,280 --> 00:47:18,840
that Pelicot had been using
on Gisèle.
552
00:47:18,920 --> 00:47:22,160
Dominique went to Marechal's house,
553
00:47:22,240 --> 00:47:26,720
and together, they raped his wife
while she was unconscious.
554
00:47:28,600 --> 00:47:32,080
At court, both men admit
the drugging
555
00:47:32,160 --> 00:47:36,640
and raping of Jean-Pierre's wife
over a five-year period.
556
00:47:36,720 --> 00:47:41,080
I think he enjoyed this idea
of teacher, student.
557
00:47:41,160 --> 00:47:45,280
I think that Dominique was trying
was to find other like minds
558
00:47:45,360 --> 00:47:48,080
who would engage
in the same activity.
559
00:47:53,080 --> 00:47:55,880
The ten years of abuse
came to an end
560
00:47:55,960 --> 00:47:59,680
when Dominque was arrested
in 2020.
561
00:48:04,040 --> 00:48:06,080
Four years later,
562
00:48:06,160 --> 00:48:10,000
one of the most shocking trials
in French history begins.
563
00:48:10,080 --> 00:48:12,640
It's a very tense atmosphere.
564
00:48:12,720 --> 00:48:17,520
Dominique Pelicot is taking
this position, like, "I am guilty."
565
00:48:17,600 --> 00:48:20,480
"I have admitted to everything."
566
00:48:20,560 --> 00:48:24,640
"They all knew and I'm a rapist
and they are rapists too."
567
00:48:24,720 --> 00:48:31,480
If the accused denies raping
or denies penetration,
568
00:48:31,560 --> 00:48:34,720
then the court decides
to show the videos.
569
00:48:43,240 --> 00:48:47,360
Four years after Gisèle's world
is turned upside down,
570
00:48:47,440 --> 00:48:52,200
the rape trial of Dominique Pelicot
and 50 other men begins in Avignon.
571
00:48:56,480 --> 00:49:00,040
Arriving at court
to applause each day.
572
00:49:01,240 --> 00:49:05,960
Gisèle is greeted by members
of the public and the world's media.
573
00:49:06,040 --> 00:49:09,680
This case has received
so much attention
574
00:49:09,760 --> 00:49:13,480
because Gisèle
waived her right to anonymity.
575
00:49:13,560 --> 00:49:16,920
And in doing so, this has allowed
the world's media
576
00:49:17,000 --> 00:49:22,280
to be able to be there in the courts
and publicize the trial to the world.
577
00:49:23,560 --> 00:49:29,160
Usually, trials that concern sexist
and sexual violence in France,
578
00:49:29,240 --> 00:49:31,480
they are behind closed doors.
579
00:49:31,560 --> 00:49:35,040
When you open the door
to this kind of trial,
580
00:49:35,120 --> 00:49:40,520
you know that your life
will be exposed and scrutinized,
581
00:49:40,600 --> 00:49:43,600
so that's a very brave thing to do.
582
00:49:46,320 --> 00:49:49,560
I wanted all women
who are victims of rape
583
00:49:49,640 --> 00:49:54,840
to be able to say "Mrs. Pelicot
did it. We can do it too."
584
00:49:54,920 --> 00:49:57,640
When you are raped, there is shame
585
00:49:57,720 --> 00:50:01,160
and it's not for us to have shame.
It is for them.
586
00:50:01,240 --> 00:50:06,840
Journalists from all over the world
come to this trial every day
587
00:50:06,920 --> 00:50:12,440
from England, Spain, even Brazil,
the United States, Australia, Japan.
588
00:50:12,520 --> 00:50:16,240
It feels like this trial speaks
to the whole world.
589
00:50:19,680 --> 00:50:23,240
{\an8}The attention that Gisèle
has received during this trial
590
00:50:23,320 --> 00:50:27,120
{\an8}is like nothing
she's ever experienced in her life.
591
00:50:27,200 --> 00:50:31,640
She is a grandmother
and a former logistics manager,
592
00:50:31,720 --> 00:50:34,720
and suddenly, she has come
to represent for any woman
593
00:50:34,800 --> 00:50:39,920
who has ever been sexually assaulted.
This paragon of bravery.
594
00:50:41,400 --> 00:50:46,280
At court, Gisèle Pelicot walks past
just some of the 50 men,
595
00:50:46,360 --> 00:50:50,240
accused of raping her
while she lied unconscious.
596
00:50:51,400 --> 00:50:54,760
There's the pressure
of all the individuals behind me
597
00:50:54,840 --> 00:50:58,680
and I can sense they are trying
to trip me up with their questions.
598
00:51:00,360 --> 00:51:05,200
Thirty-five of the 50 men
deny raping Gisèle.
599
00:51:05,280 --> 00:51:10,920
One of the challenges in this case
is that consent is not included
600
00:51:11,000 --> 00:51:14,920
within the legal definition
of French rape law.
601
00:51:15,000 --> 00:51:20,520
There is a duty to prove
that the accused had the intention
602
00:51:20,600 --> 00:51:23,920
to actually commit rape.
603
00:51:24,000 --> 00:51:29,240
Some of them have said, "It was not
my intent to rape a woman."
604
00:51:29,320 --> 00:51:31,520
"I'm not a rapist".
605
00:51:31,600 --> 00:51:34,800
A couple of them said
they first thought she was dead,
606
00:51:34,880 --> 00:51:38,520
but they managed to reconcile that
in their head
607
00:51:38,600 --> 00:51:41,240
and go ahead with their plan.
608
00:51:41,320 --> 00:51:45,000
Others feel like
they're the victim here.
609
00:51:46,160 --> 00:51:50,160
This defendant denies
the allegation of rape.
610
00:51:50,240 --> 00:51:53,440
I did not go
with the intention of rape.
611
00:51:53,520 --> 00:51:56,200
I'm not a rapist.
612
00:51:56,280 --> 00:51:58,800
I'm the child of a battered woman.
613
00:51:58,880 --> 00:52:04,000
As soon as I saw Pelicot
at his house,
614
00:52:04,080 --> 00:52:06,520
this man was scary.
615
00:52:06,600 --> 00:52:10,720
It awakened a traumatic memory
from my childhood
616
00:52:10,800 --> 00:52:15,840
that terrorized me to the point
that I lost all judgment
617
00:52:15,920 --> 00:52:20,720
and I followed his directions
and orders.
618
00:52:23,600 --> 00:52:26,600
When I arrived,
the woman was already asleep.
619
00:52:26,680 --> 00:52:31,400
And I ask for permission.
I start to touch her and she moves.
620
00:52:31,480 --> 00:52:36,720
So in my mind, I tell myself
that she's pretending.
621
00:52:36,800 --> 00:52:39,880
And then he asks me to do this,
to do that.
622
00:52:39,960 --> 00:52:43,320
He tells me to insert my finger
into her vagina.
623
00:52:43,400 --> 00:52:46,240
I didn't even have control
of my fingers.
624
00:52:49,000 --> 00:52:54,240
Madame Pelicot, in our scenario
was the victim of a rape.
625
00:52:54,320 --> 00:52:59,920
As for me, I was a victim of terror.
We are two victims.
626
00:53:00,000 --> 00:53:04,040
There is one predator
and two victims.
627
00:53:05,680 --> 00:53:08,880
Many will tell the courts
that something was off,
628
00:53:08,960 --> 00:53:14,920
I wanted to leave, I wasn't thinking,
but no one called the police.
629
00:53:16,280 --> 00:53:19,760
This defendant claims
that Gisèle must have noticed
630
00:53:19,840 --> 00:53:23,080
signs of the abuse.
631
00:53:23,160 --> 00:53:29,320
I find it hard
to hear Madame Pelicot say
632
00:53:29,400 --> 00:53:32,440
that she thought
she lived with a perfect man.
633
00:53:32,520 --> 00:53:36,640
She noticed things, but turned
the other way because of love.
634
00:53:36,720 --> 00:53:39,240
It's a message to women.
635
00:53:39,320 --> 00:53:44,680
Even if you are in love,
don't forgive anything.
636
00:53:46,280 --> 00:53:50,880
Victim blaming happens often
in cases of sexual abuse.
637
00:53:50,960 --> 00:53:53,240
The victim is always questioned
638
00:53:53,320 --> 00:53:56,200
and somehow,
they're the ones to blame.
639
00:53:56,280 --> 00:54:00,720
Lawyers of the defense asked her
whether she's into threesomes
640
00:54:00,800 --> 00:54:03,240
or whether she's into swinging.
641
00:54:03,320 --> 00:54:06,520
No matter how many photos
and videos she has as evidence,
642
00:54:06,600 --> 00:54:09,720
they're still trying
to blame her for it.
643
00:54:10,800 --> 00:54:13,760
The comments that we heard
in the defense,
644
00:54:13,840 --> 00:54:16,520
arguments were archaic
645
00:54:16,600 --> 00:54:21,720
and shows also the height of misogyny
and the utmost contempt for women.
646
00:54:21,800 --> 00:54:24,680
Some defendants
used arguments saying,
647
00:54:24,760 --> 00:54:28,040
"Dominique Pelicot,
the husband gave his consent,"
648
00:54:28,120 --> 00:54:34,160
as if the wife was the property
of her husband.
649
00:54:35,440 --> 00:54:39,920
Many saw the defense arguments
as misogynistic,
650
00:54:40,000 --> 00:54:44,000
but this defendant
takes an opposing view.
651
00:54:44,080 --> 00:54:46,760
I am a very feminist person.
652
00:54:46,840 --> 00:54:51,280
I'm more sensitive to the cause
of women than many feminists
653
00:54:51,360 --> 00:54:55,320
who call themselves feminists.
654
00:54:58,840 --> 00:55:02,160
Dominique has admitted everything
since the beginning.
655
00:55:02,240 --> 00:55:07,720
He also says that all the accused
present in the room knew everything.
656
00:55:07,800 --> 00:55:13,880
They knew she would be drugged
and they knew why they were there.
657
00:55:17,360 --> 00:55:21,800
I can't recall another trial
anywhere else in the world
658
00:55:21,880 --> 00:55:24,920
where a rape case
that has so much evidence
659
00:55:25,000 --> 00:55:29,680
and in that weird way, you know,
Gisèle Pelicot has the perfect trial
660
00:55:29,760 --> 00:55:34,880
because unlike so many other women,
she has proof of what has happened.
661
00:55:36,480 --> 00:55:39,960
After Gisèle's insistence,
the judge rules
662
00:55:40,040 --> 00:55:43,360
that the videos be shared in court.
663
00:55:43,440 --> 00:55:47,080
When the first videos
were shown in the courtroom,
664
00:55:47,160 --> 00:55:51,000
there was a feeling of unease
in the room
665
00:55:51,080 --> 00:55:57,520
because it wasn't easy to watch
with the victim next to you.
666
00:55:57,600 --> 00:56:00,400
I preferred not to watch them all
667
00:56:00,480 --> 00:56:05,560
because some of them
were beyond comprehension.
668
00:56:05,640 --> 00:56:10,640
When you sit in that courtroom
and you see one video after another
669
00:56:10,720 --> 00:56:16,960
of a woman snoring deeply,
loudly echoing in the courtroom.
670
00:56:17,040 --> 00:56:20,800
She was not a human being
in that moment,
671
00:56:20,880 --> 00:56:25,520
and I think that's really shaken
a lot of people
672
00:56:25,600 --> 00:56:30,840
as to how men see women.
673
00:56:34,440 --> 00:56:39,600
There have been some powerful moments
during this trial.
674
00:56:39,680 --> 00:56:45,960
I'm thinking of when Gisèle Pelicot
spoke for the first time.
675
00:56:46,040 --> 00:56:49,480
The rest of the courtroom
fell completely silent
676
00:56:49,560 --> 00:56:54,600
as Gisèle Pelicot said, she wanted
to address her ex-husband directly.
677
00:56:56,600 --> 00:56:59,360
So many times, I said to myself,
678
00:56:59,440 --> 00:57:02,960
"How lucky I am
to have you at my side."
679
00:57:03,040 --> 00:57:06,680
How could you have betrayed me
to this point?
680
00:57:06,760 --> 00:57:11,120
How could you have brought
these strangers into my bedroom?
681
00:57:11,200 --> 00:57:15,440
I am a woman
who is totally destroyed.
682
00:57:15,520 --> 00:57:21,920
I don't know if my whole life
will be enough to understand.
683
00:57:28,560 --> 00:57:33,640
Their daughter, Caroline, feels
like she's the forgotten person here.
684
00:57:33,720 --> 00:57:36,920
The police found two photos of her
685
00:57:37,000 --> 00:57:41,680
in her underwear lying on a bed
that she doesn't recognize.
686
00:57:41,760 --> 00:57:46,480
So, she's convinced
that she was also drugged and abused.
687
00:57:46,560 --> 00:57:50,480
Dominique tells the court
he took the photos of his daughter
688
00:57:50,560 --> 00:57:55,600
because he was being blackmailed,
but offers no further explanation.
689
00:57:55,680 --> 00:57:58,720
He denies ever drugging
or touching her,
690
00:57:58,800 --> 00:58:02,640
but Caroline is convinced
he is lying.
691
00:58:02,720 --> 00:58:05,360
She gets red. She's frustrated.
692
00:58:05,440 --> 00:58:10,560
She screams at him, you know,
"You're a liar. You'll die alone."
693
00:58:10,640 --> 00:58:14,360
She was hoping, I think,
for some closure in this trial.
694
00:58:14,440 --> 00:58:17,960
But there's lots with her
that's unresolved.
695
00:58:19,520 --> 00:58:22,880
During investigations
police discover
696
00:58:22,960 --> 00:58:27,160
that Dominique's criminal activity
dates back much further.
697
00:58:31,680 --> 00:58:35,920
What's emerged is that Dominique
is potentially connected
698
00:58:36,000 --> 00:58:39,680
to at least two other crimes
from the '90s.
699
00:58:41,760 --> 00:58:46,280
In 1999, an attempted rape
of an estate agent in Paris.
700
00:58:46,360 --> 00:58:51,120
It was a DNA match, so he admitted
he was involved in this crime.
701
00:58:54,240 --> 00:58:58,120
In Sophie's case, we have no proof
702
00:58:58,200 --> 00:59:01,440
that it was Dominique Pelicot.
703
00:59:01,520 --> 00:59:04,480
But in these two cases,
704
00:59:04,560 --> 00:59:08,840
there are elements of the MO
that are totally identical.
705
00:59:08,920 --> 00:59:14,600
Two women who work as estate agents
who are young, around 20 years old,
706
00:59:14,680 --> 00:59:20,360
who are showing an apartment,
who are attacked with a knife,
707
00:59:20,440 --> 00:59:26,800
who are assaulted, who are sedated
with ether to make them fall asleep.
708
00:59:26,880 --> 00:59:30,480
These cases may seem connected,
709
00:59:30,560 --> 00:59:34,080
but have no link
from a legal perspective.
710
00:59:34,160 --> 00:59:38,400
Investigations are continuing
on these two cases and others.
711
00:59:40,080 --> 00:59:43,000
Police suspect
Dominique may be linked
712
00:59:43,080 --> 00:59:47,000
to at least five unsolved crimes.
713
00:59:57,320 --> 01:00:00,600
Gisèle Pelicot is making history.
714
01:00:00,680 --> 01:00:04,600
She is leaving a legacy
for all of us women.
715
01:00:04,680 --> 01:00:09,520
Today, she is truly a symbol
of the fight against sexual violence.
716
01:00:09,600 --> 01:00:14,720
Locally, but also in France,
Europe and all over the world.
717
01:00:15,920 --> 01:00:21,040
This trial has had a huge impact
in the French society.
718
01:00:21,120 --> 01:00:26,200
Many protests have been taking place
in solidarity with Gisèle Pelicot.
719
01:00:27,440 --> 01:00:31,520
I would like to thank all the people
who have supported me
720
01:00:31,600 --> 01:00:35,000
since the beginning of this ordeal.
721
01:00:35,080 --> 01:00:39,880
I was touched by this momentum,
which gives me a responsibility.
722
01:00:39,960 --> 01:00:44,360
All of you give me the strength
to fight this fight to the end.
723
01:00:45,400 --> 01:00:49,600
This trial is a reckoning for France
and the law around consent,
724
01:00:49,680 --> 01:00:54,680
but it's also allowing women to say,
"We're here to be believed."
725
01:00:54,760 --> 01:00:57,200
"Even if it's harassment
on the street,
726
01:00:57,280 --> 01:01:00,320
it's being inappropriately
touched in a club."
727
01:01:00,400 --> 01:01:02,920
"We're saying this is happening."
728
01:01:03,000 --> 01:01:06,000
And Gisèle is standing up and saying,
729
01:01:06,080 --> 01:01:09,080
"Listen to us
when we say what's happening."
730
01:01:13,920 --> 01:01:18,000
They're asking for 140 new measures
from the government
731
01:01:18,080 --> 01:01:20,720
to fight against violence
against women.
732
01:01:20,800 --> 01:01:23,800
They're asking
that all victims are believed.
733
01:01:23,880 --> 01:01:28,400
Because they're referring directly
to the Gisèle Pelicot case.
734
01:01:28,480 --> 01:01:33,840
{\an8}Ninety-four percent of rape cases
are dropped before they go to trial
735
01:01:33,920 --> 01:01:38,120
{\an8}so it means
that there are many women in France
736
01:01:38,200 --> 01:01:41,800
that have received no justice
for what happened to her.
737
01:01:41,880 --> 01:01:45,440
We're hoping that this could be
a game changer in the fight
738
01:01:45,520 --> 01:01:48,800
against rape culture
and sexual violence in France.
739
01:01:55,680 --> 01:01:58,240
For the local people of Mazan,
740
01:01:58,320 --> 01:02:02,240
this case has been
particularly poignant.
741
01:02:02,320 --> 01:02:07,600
I hope there will be
a before and after this case.
742
01:02:07,680 --> 01:02:10,960
I can see it with the women
that we work with,
743
01:02:11,040 --> 01:02:14,280
it's really given them courage.
744
01:02:14,360 --> 01:02:20,080
Gisèle is a formidable woman,
very, very strong and brave.
745
01:02:20,160 --> 01:02:23,640
She's shown us
that we shouldn't feel ashamed
746
01:02:23,720 --> 01:02:29,600
and that we too can reject
this shame, this guilt we feel.
747
01:02:30,880 --> 01:02:35,080
Latika and Marion decide to organize
a march in Mazan
748
01:02:35,160 --> 01:02:37,600
in support of Gisèle.
749
01:02:37,680 --> 01:02:40,040
Gisèle was so touched by this
750
01:02:40,120 --> 01:02:44,480
that she came to visit
the association the next day.
751
01:02:44,560 --> 01:02:49,760
Meeting Gisèle gave me the courage
to reopen my case, to fight
752
01:02:49,840 --> 01:02:54,320
and to tell myself that being
a victim doesn't mean you are weak.
753
01:02:54,400 --> 01:03:00,200
We can hold our heads high.
754
01:03:00,280 --> 01:03:06,040
We can accuse without feeling shame,
that's important.
755
01:03:06,120 --> 01:03:11,960
And that's what she's shown.
756
01:03:14,520 --> 01:03:20,160
Many women are hoping that this case
will lead to law changes in France.
757
01:03:20,240 --> 01:03:25,360
So, it isn't the case that lawyers
need to prove intent to rape a woman
758
01:03:25,440 --> 01:03:31,440
and actually it becomes a form of,
you need to assort positive consent.
759
01:03:31,520 --> 01:03:35,760
In December 2024,
after a historic trial,
760
01:03:35,840 --> 01:03:40,880
all the men charged with the rape
of Gisèle Pelicot were found guilty.
761
01:03:40,960 --> 01:03:44,480
The men have been awarded
varying sentences.
762
01:03:44,560 --> 01:03:50,320
Dominique received the maximum
under French law, 20 years.
763
01:03:50,400 --> 01:03:53,320
I don't think we'll ever forget
the name Gisèle Pelicot.
764
01:03:53,400 --> 01:03:56,600
She has become
this iconic figure of strength
765
01:03:56,680 --> 01:04:01,360
and somebody
who has challenged rape myths
766
01:04:01,440 --> 01:04:04,680
that are still held in 2024.
767
01:04:04,760 --> 01:04:07,480
This case has the merit of showing
768
01:04:07,560 --> 01:04:12,080
that rapists
are everywhere in our society
769
01:04:12,160 --> 01:04:18,800
and it shies away from what was
a common widespread idea
770
01:04:18,880 --> 01:04:23,920
that a rapist was some monster
that was alienated from society.
771
01:04:24,000 --> 01:04:27,000
By making this trial public.
772
01:04:27,080 --> 01:04:30,600
Gisèle said that she wants shame
to change sides.
773
01:04:30,680 --> 01:04:34,160
But she's also doing this,
so that society changes,
774
01:04:34,240 --> 01:04:37,680
that attitudes change,
so that the law changes too,
775
01:04:37,760 --> 01:04:42,440
so that rape is seen differently,
so that people can speak freely
776
01:04:42,520 --> 01:04:48,720
and victims of sexual violence
can identify with her.
777
01:04:48,800 --> 01:04:53,080
And for this to serve as a lesson
to everyone, in France,
778
01:04:53,160 --> 01:04:56,120
but also across the world.
779
01:04:57,360 --> 01:05:03,520
I think of the unrecognized victims
whose stories remain in the shadows.
780
01:05:03,600 --> 01:05:07,680
I want you to know
that we share the same fight.
781
01:05:07,760 --> 01:05:11,840
I would like to express
my deepest gratitude
782
01:05:11,920 --> 01:05:16,080
to all the people who supported me
throughout this ordeal.
783
01:05:21,680 --> 01:05:25,680
Subtitled by: Stefan Constantin
Iyuno