Pelicot labels himself 'the devil' in appeal court case

Dominique Pelicot described himself as “the devil” during a court appearance, nine months after he was jailed for 20 years for raping his ex-wife and inviting dozens of strangers to abuse her.

- JAMES C. REYNOLDS

Dominique, 72, was at the Nimes Appeal Court on Tuesday to give evidence after one of the men convicted of rape at the end of last year sought to overturn the verdict.

He told the court that Husamettin Dogan, 44, knew Gisele Pelicot, 72, was sedated and came to their home deliberately to abuse her, as Dogan insisted he believed Gisele had consented to a sex game in which she pretended to be asleep.

"He had that information from the start," Dominique told the court, having been brought from jail. "They all knew. They all came with the same intention."

Dominique rejected Dogan’s argument regarding the crimes against his then-wife, insisting: “I know what they say, but I know what they did and I know what I did. I have admitted what I did and I am paying for it.”

Asked separately why his wife never suspected that she was being drugged and abused by him, Dominique said: “I did everything so that she wouldn’t notice. The person has confidence in you and does not notice the devil.”

At the end of his evidence, Dominique apologised to his family. His ex-wife attended the hearing with her son, Florian, 46.