French Husband Sentenced to 20 Years for Orchestrating Wife's Sexual Assault

by Oh Suyon

Published 19 Dec.2024 21:32(KST)

A French husband was sentenced to 20 years in prison by a court for secretly drugging his wife for about 10 years and inviting men recruited online to sexually assault her.

According to the Associated Press and other sources on the 19th (local time), the trial court in Avignon, southern France, ruled Dominique Pellico (72) guilty of drugging his wife Giselle (72) and allowing dozens of men to sexually assault her, sentencing him accordingly.

Giselle Pellico entering the courthouse. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News.

Pellico’s 49 accomplice men were sentenced to 3 to 15 years in prison for charges including sexual assault, attempted sexual assault, and sexual violence. Two received suspended sentences. Jean-Pierre Mar?chal, who was charged with drugging his own wife in the same manner and allowing Pellico to sexually assault her, was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Earlier last month, the prosecution sought 20 years for Pellico and 4 to 18 years for the other 50 men.

Pellico’s defense attorney stated that they are considering an appeal but have not yet made a decision.

On the day of the verdict, the victim Giselle watched the sentencing from the gallery. Giselle, who demanded a public trial, saying "Shame belongs to the perpetrator," sparked a worldwide reaction. She finalized her divorce a few days before the trial but used her ex-husband’s surname during the trial process so that her grandchildren would not be ashamed of the Pellico name.

According to CNN, after the verdict, Giselle met with reporters outside the courtroom and said, "This process was very difficult, and at this moment, I think of my three children first," adding, "I think of all the unknown victims of stories unfolding in the shadows. I want them to know that we are fighting together."

Pellico was charged with drugging Giselle’s drink with sedatives from July 2011 to October 2020 to make her lose consciousness, then inviting men recruited through online chats to his home to sexually assault her. The men who sexually assaulted Giselle were also charged and have been on trial since September. Investigators estimate there are 72 perpetrators, but many identities remain unknown.