Gisele Pelicot said she is a ‘completely destroyed woman’ as she questioned how her husband could have betrayed her in a powerful testimony.
The grandmother of seven described being ‘raped 100 times’, as she confronted the Monster of Avignon for letting strangers into their bedroom, on Wednesday.
The shocking case involves retired electrician Dominique Pelicot, 72, who in a decade-long campaign drugged his unsuspecting wife, Gisele , 71, so that dozens of men could rape and abuse her, while he watched and filmed them.
Dressed in a long blue-patterned dress she took the stand just after 11.30am and addressed the court in a strong voice that only quivered with emotion sporadically.
Judge Roger Arata told her she would have the opportunity to comment on the evidence she has heard so far and in particular the drugging of her.
As she spoke, her former husband looked on from a glass box, sat in a chair resting his chin in his hand, occasionally looking up at his former wife of almost 50 years.
Mrs Pelicot said she would not look at her husband, but would address him as Dominque.
She added: ‘I am so grateful that you have given me the opportunity to speak because for almost eight weeks, I have been hurt and challenged, but I know I have nothing to be ashamed of.’
Speaking about graphic footage and images that have been shown of her during the trial, she bravely said: ‘I have been raped 100 times and it was difficult to make the decision to release those videos, but it also allowed us to acknowledge the truth.’
Mrs Pelicot added: ‘So many times I said to myself how lucky I was to have you when we went to the hospital because I was unwell (as a result him drugging her).
‘He took me to the gynaecologist; I trusted him entirely. How can the ideal man have gone to this? How could you have betrayed me? How could you have brought strangers into our bedroom.’
Describing the huge betrayal, she said: ‘Even our friends appreciated him, we shared holidays, birthdays with them, Christmas all that for me was happiness, but now after four years of preparing for this trial, I still haven’t understood why.
‘We had 50 years of happy life together, I was a happy woman, fulfilled, I had three children and seven grandchildren, he was a caring father, a good listener, a kind man who I trusted completely, this is difficult, we shared laughter and sorrow.’
Mrs Pelicot continued her emotional testimony and added: ‘Today, in this court I still don’t understand how this perfect gentleman, could have ended up like this, how my life was turned upside down.
‘How could you betray me to this extent? How could you let people come into our bedroom? This betrayal is immeasurable. I thought I would end my days with this man.’
As she spoke her husband looked down at his shoes, barely bringing himself to look at his ex-wife as she gave a brutal description of him.
When asked by the judge if she had any view on the family members of the accused who had testified earlier, she said: ‘I’ve watched these women, these mothers, these sisters, these wives, talking of how their son, brother, husband is an exceptional man.
‘I had the same at my home, but a rapist is not the man you meet in a car park late at night, he can also be one of your family, one of your friends.’
She went on: ‘I don’t understand how it got to this, I’m going to tell him, I always tried to push you towards the light but you chose the depths of the human soul, you chose it.’
Speaking of one of her attackers she said: ‘One man’s mother came, she was 54 years old, I don’t remember his name, but in effect he came to rape his grandmother.
‘I am totally destroyed by this, how am I going to rebuild myself?’
Mrs Pelicot added that she had decided to testify so she could ‘speak for all victims’.
She added: ‘I want them to say Madame Pelicot did it, so we can do it. I don’t want them to be ashamed anymore, we are not the ones who should be ashamed, it’s their shame.’
Judge Arata also asked her how she thought the rapes were ‘prepared’ and she replied: ‘He would cook a lot of meals.
‘One day he came to pick me up from Avignon station at about 4pm, we got home and he had already prepared dinner.
‘We had mashed potato, which I love, and it was seasoned with olive oil for me and butter for him.
‘Then he would watch football and, at half time, he would bring me ice-cream or sorbet, raspberry, my favourite, and I would think how lucky I was to have him.
‘But I didn’t feel anything, I would wake up in the morning with my pyjamas on. He could have put the drugs in them or in my coffee or my orange juice.’
Her testimony comes after it was revealed that one of the rapists who abused unconscious Gisele got his partner to drop him off and wait in the car while he engaged in the sordid sex act.
Abdelali Dallal, 47, has admitted two counts of rape committed in January and March 2018 – he is one of 50 men who are currently testifying in the case that has made headlines around the world.
Dallal, director of a glazing firm company, has told investigators he met Pelicot online while surfing a swingers website called Coco.fr which has since closed, and he had been invited there by him to sleep with his wife.
Speaking before him, Dallal’s former partner told the court in Avignon how she had driven him to the Pelicot home in the nearby picturesque village of Mazan, but she said she hadn’t asked him why he was there.
It comes as Mrs Pelicot was greeted with warm applause as she arrived at court this morning to give her verdict on the evidence heard so far in the ongoing trial of her husband.
Dallal’s former partner told the court about dropping him off: ‘When we arrived, I waited in the car. It was night and I don’t remember how long we were there.
‘He told me not to park directly outside the house but a little further away. I didn’t ask him why we were there or what he was doing there; I didn’t want to know.’
Dallal was later arrested after being recognised by the partner of another defendant who had been questioned about the case while she was shown photos of the accused recovered from devices Pelicot kept.
At first Dallal denied it was him, insisting it ‘must be a double’, before later confessing and, at the start of the trial last month, he admitted the two rapes he is accused of.
During questioning he told police he had since suffered a stroke and was 80 per cent disabled. He added he was ‘stupid’ to return to the house as he knew he ‘was doing something stupid’, he said.
Large crowds had gathered outside court this morning for the hearing, which comes at the midway point of a case that has made headlines around the world for its sordid nature.
Dressed as elegantly as ever, Mrs Pelicot nodded to supporters and thanked one who gave her a good luck card as she made her way through the crowds to the courtroom.
Mrs Pelicot will be asked by trial judge Roger Arata for her views on the evidence heard so far, and it comes as the latest batch of the 50 accused are grilled.
Due to testify this week is Quentin Hennebert, 34, a prison guard who was working at the same time Pelicot was being held in custody at Pontet jail, following his arrest in 2020 for upskirting women in a supermarket.
Hennebert is accused of raping Mrs Pelicot in November 2019 and has also pleaded guilty to the charge.
Four other men will also testify and they have been named as father of four Jean Luc La, 46, delivery driver Florin Rocca, 32, electrician Patrice Nicolle, 55, and Gregory Serviol, 31.
Mother-of-three Mrs Pelicot, has bravely waived her right to anonymity to unmask the alleged perpetrators.
The trial began almost eight weeks ago and has already heard from 30 men with most denying rape claiming they thought they were taking part in a role playing game with a swinging couple, many said that as Pelicot was present ‘consent’ had been given.
The accused face a maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted and are aged between 26 and 74 and come from all walks of life including a journalist, soldier, local councillor, carpenter and fireman.
When given a brief opportunity to speak last month Mrs Pelicot said she felt ‘humiliated’ at having been labelled an ‘alcoholic and conspirator’ during the initial part of the hearing.
Since the trial started, French people have come out to support her in their droves, with many organising protests up and down the country, the latest being held last weekend.
One was held in Mazan, where most of the attacks took place, with hundreds marching through the sleepy Provence town to show their support of her.
The trial in Avignon has heard man after man claim that Pelicot had ‘tricked’ them into taking part in his twisted fantasies of the rape and humiliation of his wife – many of which were filmed.
Last month, Pelicot stood in the dock and admitted his guilt – and accused all his co-defendants of each having been willing conspirators.
He told the court: ‘I am a rapist – like everyone else in this room.’