A person who says he discovered to drug and rape his personal spouse from Frenchman Dominque Pelicot, who is admitted to drugging and raping his personal former spouse for just about a decade, and recruiting ratings of strangers to attack her as neatly, stated Wednesday that he deserved to be harshly punished.”I am in prison and I deserve it,” the 63-year-old instructed the courtroom in Avignon the place the mass rape trial of Pelicot has been unfolding to the horror of the French and global public. “What I did is appalling. I am a prison and a rapist,” stated Jean-Pierre Marechal, a tall guy with a buzzcut who claimed he used to be provided with tranquillisers by way of Pelicot.
Dominique Pelicot, who has admitted to drugging and raped his spouse Gisele Pelicot, seems at the back of his legal professional as she cope with the courtroom in Avignon, France, September 11, 2024, in a court docket cartoon.
ZZIIGG/REUTERS
Pelicot, 71, has admitted slipping his then spouse Gisele sedatives to render her subconscious in order that he and dozens of strangers may just rape her.
Gisele Pelicot additionally testified within the Avignon courtroom Wednesday, announcing she felt humiliated by way of protection attorneys suggesting she can have been complicit within the ordeal.”Since I’ve set foot on this court docket I’ve felt humiliated,” she stated all through the trial of her former husband, who stands accused together with 50 different males of raping his spouse between 2011 and 2020.
“I am being known as an alcoholic, and any individual who will get intoxicated to the purpose of turning into Mr. Pelicot’s associate,” she bristled.Marechal is the one one concerned within the case who isn’t accused of abusing Gisele Pelicot. As a substitute, Marechal is accused of raping or making an attempt to rape his 54-year-old spouse Cilia 12 instances, with Pelicot accused of participating in 10 of the ones attacks after the 2 males met on-line.”What I did is terrible and I need a difficult punishment,” stated Marechal.”I remorseful about my movements,” he instructed the court docket. “If I had now not met Mr. Pelicot, I might have by no means dedicated this act. He used to be reassuring, like a cousin.”
In line with prosecutors, after the 2 males met on a web site known as Coco, Pelicot began sharing pictures of his abuse of his spouse by way of the lads he’d enlisted, explaining to Marechal how he drugged her. Marechal stated he to start with refused Pelicot’s invitation to rape his spouse, however later modified his thoughts.Prosecutors have stated Pelicot seems in no less than 3 recordings of 12 attacks on Marechal’s spouse Cilia.Pelicot stated he stopped contacting Marechal after Cilia awoke whilst he used to be within the room.Marechal says he had a “glad lifestyles” along with his wifeMarechal instructed the courtroom he have been abused by way of his father as a kid. “My youth used to be all disgrace, alcohol, intercourse and numerous silence,” he stated. “We skilled horrible issues from my father, sexual abuse.” “My mom attempted to give protection to us however she drank,” he added.Marechal stated he had a “glad lifestyles” along with his spouse after assembly her as a tender guy. She too instructed the courtroom remaining week that it used to be a cheerful marriage.
“I really like my spouse,” he stated.He lived about 30 miles from the Pelicot house within the southern the town of Mazan, the place the primary defendant is accused of abusing his personal spouse in her mattress.Gisele Pelicot has been lauded globally for waiving her proper to anonymity beneath French legislation and insisting the trial be open to the general public, hoping to boost consciousness about the usage of medication to devote sexual abuse.
Frank Andrews
contributed to this document.
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