A French appeals court has extended the prison sentence of Husamettin Dogan, the only man who challenged his conviction in one of France’s most shocking rape cases involving Gisèle Pelicot, a 72-year-old woman who was drugged and raped over a decade by dozens of men arranged by her husband.
Appeal Backfires: Sentence Extended to 10 Years
The Court of Appeal in Nîmes ruled on Wednesday to increase Dogan’s prison sentence from nine to ten years. The 44-year-old, who had pleaded his innocence despite explicit video evidence showing him assaulting an unconscious Pelicot, was originally convicted in December 2023 along with 50 other men.
Dogan, a Turkish-born father, argued during the hearing that he was “trapped” by Pelicot’s husband, Dominique Pelicot, who orchestrated the assaults. The prosecution, however, insisted that Dogan refused to take responsibility for his actions.
Public Prosecutor Dominique Sié urged the court to impose a 12-year sentence, emphasizing the “massive act of destruction of a woman” that stripped Pelicot of her dignity and humanity.
The Horrific Ordeal: A Decade of Drugging and Abuse
The case centers on Dominique Pelicot, who drugged his wife without her knowledge for more than ten years and invited men through online forums to rape her while she was unconscious. He meticulously recorded the assaults on video, which later became the main evidence used by police to identify and prosecute the attackers.
Investigators uncovered over 50 perpetrators, all of whom received prison sentences. Seventeen men initially appealed their convictions but later withdrew, leaving Dogan as the sole defendant to persist with his appeal.
Dogan Claims Victimhood – Court Rejects Defense
During the appeal hearing, Dogan claimed he believed Pelicot had consented, saying he thought she was asleep voluntarily. “I performed a sexual act; I never raped anyone,” he told the court. “For me, rape means forcing someone—tying them up. I am also a victim.”
The jury, made up of nine citizens and three professional judges, disagreed. Videos shown during the trial depicted Pelicot completely motionless, breathing heavily and unresponsive, clearly unconscious under the effects of sedatives.
Pelicot’s husband testified that he never misled any of the men, saying explicitly, “They all knew my wife would be drugged.” He confirmed he told Dogan he was searching for someone to “abuse my sleeping wife without her knowledge.”
Gisèle Pelicot Faces Her Attacker Again
Appearing in public for the first time since last year’s verdict, Gisèle Pelicot bravely took the stand to confront Dogan. She reminded the court that she had been unaware of the abuse for years, attributing her memory loss and neurological symptoms to what she thought were medical issues—only later realizing they were caused by the drugs administered by her husband.
“The first time I saw [Dogan’s] face was on the videos,” she said emotionally. “They are forever burned into my memory.”
Turning to Dogan directly, she declared, “You don’t understand that this was rape. When will you admit it’s a crime? I am ashamed for you.”
Family Torn Apart by Tragedy
The Pelicot case has deeply fractured the family. Gisèle’s daughter, Caroline Darian, has accused her father of also drugging and abusing her after explicit photos were found on his computer. However, the relationship between mother and daughter has since deteriorated, and Caroline did not attend the appeal hearing.
“My family is trying to rebuild itself however it can,” Gisèle told the court. “I hope my daughter finds peace and that one day we can find each other again.”
A Reluctant Symbol of Courage
Since her case became public, Gisèle Pelicot has been hailed as a symbol of resilience and justice for survivors of sexual violence. However, she has rejected being labeled a hero. “I am not an icon,” she told reporters. “I am an ordinary woman who dared to make her trial public.”
Her courage, however, has inspired national conversations about consent, marital abuse, and the systemic failures that allowed such crimes to persist undetected for years.
A Message to Other Survivors
As the hearing concluded, Pelicot addressed victims of sexual violence worldwide. “I want to say to them: never feel ashamed of what was done to us,” she said. “It is not your fault.”
