Alert – Dominique Pelicot sentencing LIVE: Monster of Avignon jailed for 20 years for raping ex-wife Gisele and ALL accomplices jailed in historic French trial which shocked the world

We’re expecting Gisele Pelicot to give her reaction to today’s sentences any moment now following the verdicts and prison sentences handed down in Avignon.

Here’s our live stream to watch her make her statement live:

We’re about to hear from Gisele Pelicot.

Stick with us for her reaction to today’s sentences.

Gisele Pelicot has reportedly thanked the judge who handed down historic verdicts and sentences to 51 men in a mass rape trial she was at the heart of.

According to reporters, Madame Pelicot addressed Roger Arata to tell him his actions would be forever remembered.

She told him: ‘Mr. President, I wanted to thank you. I know that you too will go down in history,’

The president of the Vaucluse departmental criminal court replied: ‘I wish you a lot of courage’.

• Reporting by Elena Salvoni

Three court sketches of Dominique Pelicot and his ex-wife Gisele have been released following today’s hearing in Avignon.

Madame Pelicot watched on as her former husband and 50 co-defendants were found guilty and sentenced of horrific sex assaults, many perpetrated on her.

This is the moment a bus load of convicted rapists were transported from the court in Avignon to prison following the end of France’s historic mass rape trial.

In total, 51 men were sentenced to more than 400 collective years behind bars with all of Pelicot’s accomplices found guilty of sex crimes with 46 convicted of rape, two of attempted rape and two of sexual assault.

See our video below:

The leader of the French parliament has thanked Gisele Pelicot for her courage that has changed the nation.

In a social media post, Yael Braun-Pivat, president of France’s National Assembly, said Madame Pelicot conveys ‘the voice of so many victims’.

The world is no longer the same thanks to you.

We’re expecting to hear from Gisele Pelicot shortly.

The wife of Dominique Pelicot has reportedly prepared a statement to be read out following the culmination of the trial.

France’s worst ever sexual abuse case has finally concluded after a months-long trial with 51 men brought to justice for their heinous crimes.

Dominique Pelicot, 72, who has come to be known as the Monster of Avignon, drugged, raped and organised the repeated rape and sexual abuse of his now-ex-wife Gisele Pelicot by dozens of other men.

Firefighters, soldiers, lorry drivers, a DJ and a journalist are among those found guilty of raping 71-year-old Gisele at the behest of her husband Dominique over the course of a decade – all without her knowledge.

Today, the Monster of Avignon was slapped with a 20-year prison term by Judge Roger Arata after he pleaded guilty to drugging her repeatedly for almost a decade to rape her and to offer up her unconscious body for sex to dozens of strangers.

Several abusers have escaped justice, with police unable to identify more than 20 men involved in Gisele’s abuse.

• Read the full story by David Averre and Elena Salvoni here

The children of Dominique Pelicot believe the verdicts handed down by a French court to the guilty men in the case were too mild, a family member told AFP. ‘The children are disappointed by these low sentences,’ said the family member, asking not be identified, after a court in Avignon sentenced Dominique Pelicot’s co-defendants to between three and 15 years in jail, with two of the sentences suspended.

Now that all the sentences have been handed down we can see the 51 men jailed today were sentenced to more than 400 collective years behind bars.

Dominique Pelicot received the longest sentence with a 20 year term.

In total, the court found 46 men guilty of rape, two guilty of attempted rape and two guilty of sexual assault.

A lawyer representing Jean-Pierre Marechal, who was described as a ‘disciple’ of Dominique Pelicot, has told journalists he will not appeal his 12-year prison sentence.

Patrick Gontard said Marechal was ‘satisfied’ with the outcome, adding it was important the sentence was the court’s decision and not a public one.

Marechal was found guilty of attempted rape and aggravated rape of his wife.

He had admitted following Dominique Pelicot’s lead by drugging his wife for five years, raping her and inviting Dominique to rape her too.

The son of Gisele Pelicot gave a thumbs up to supporters outside the court after the sentences were passed in Avignon this morning.

David Pelicot arrived at the court with his sister Caroline to support their mother and watched on as his father was jailed for 20 years for orchestrating a mass rape against her in a case which has shaken France.

We can now show you the moment Gisele Pelicot left the court in Avignon following the historic mass rape trial that saw her husband jailed for 20 years alongside accomplices he urged to rape her while she was drugged.

As each sentence was handed down, Ms Pelicot refused to shed a tears as all of her abusers were convicted. The 72-year-old simply rested her head against the wall, in a further act of stoicism and defiance.

Ms Pelicot’s bravery in waiving her anonymity has seen her become a symbol of feminism in France with many supporters outside court today to show solidarity ahead of the verdicts being handed down.

Watch our video below:

The Monster of Avignon’s lawyer Beatrice Zavarro (pictured) has said no decision has yet been made on whether he will appeal his sentence passed today

She says she will not criticise any decision made by the courts, adding they now had 10 days to discuss whether to bring forward a challenge to the ruling.

Mr Pelicot has noted this decision and we have 10 days to see if he will appeal. No decision has been made on this yet. We felt that the necessary respect was given (during the trial)

Mr Pelicot was not necessarily the conductor that was alleged, it is important to look at the difference between Mr Pelicot’s sentence and the other co-defendants, making up this orchestra, as it has been described.

Asked how her client is reacting, she added:

My client is showing the same attitude as he has done throughout. He is struck by the period in question, the sentencing period, we are going to take the 10 days to digest this and he is going to think about his future.

• Reporting by Elena Salvoni

This is the moment Dominique and Gisele Pelicot’s daughter Caroline left the court after all the sentences were handed down in Avignon.

According to reports, Caroline told her father he will ‘die like a dog in jail’ when his 20-year prison term was read out.

Trial judge President Roger Arata read out all the sentences and there was a clear gap between the maximum given to principle defendant Pelicot and the 50 other co-accused.

During the trial Pelicot had insisted that : I am a rapist and so is everyone else in the room.’

The five professional judges found almost all guilty of aggravated rape.

But they handed down prison sentences on a case-by-case basis, ignoring calls from feminist groups for ’20 years for all’.

• Patrice Nicolle: Eight years

The 55-year-old electrician drove 20 minutes to meet Pelicot at his home on a Monday night in February 2020 after making contact with Pelicot online. Gisele was snoring loudly, video evidence shows, with Patrice N claiming he did not notice she was asleep as he had sex with her.

• Grégory Serviol: Eight years

The 31-year-old, who was 24 when the alleged rape happened in June 2017, denied the rape and said he had believed Pelicot when he assured him that his wife liked to ‘make love while drunk’. He claims Pelicot pressured him to rape her. In the videos of the act, Gregory can be seen smiling.

• Abdelali Dallal: Eight years, but walks free today due to medical issues

The 47-year-old is one of the few men who pleaded guilty, admitting he knew at the time that Gisèle Pelicot was given sleeping pills. He said he had been invited to Pelicot’s home in Mazan to sleep with his wife.

• Jean-Luc LA: 10 years

The 46-year-old pleaded for leniency, telling the court he doesn’t deserve a 14-year jail term for joining the mass rape of Gisele Pelicot because he is ‘weak and finds it hard to say no’. His wife said he only went to meet with Pelicot because she refused to have sex with him at the time. Mrs Pelicot told her that she was not to blame for her husband’s actions.

• Quentin Hennebert: Seven years

Quentin H is accused of raping Mrs Pelicot in her bed in November 2019, and has admitted the charge of rape. He said he sold drugs on the website where Pelicot got in contact with him and other men, allegedly telling him he had a female ‘friend’ who ‘had a fantasy about playing the sleeping woman’.

• Saifeddine Ghabi

Saifeddine Ghabi, found not guilty of rape and attempted rape but found guilty of sexual molestation aggravated by being in a gang. Acquitted of criminal charges.

• Romain Vandevelde: 15 years

The 63-year-old former forklift driver is accused of raping Mrs Pelicot six times over six months between 2019 and 2020. She was unconscious each time, but he denied raping her, saying that ‘her husband invited me in’ and that a husband’s consent was enough. He told the court he had known that he was HIV positive at the time of the alleged rapes and had not worn a condom.

• Ludovick Blemeur: Seven years

The warehouse worker was found guilty of raping Mrs Pelicot just before New Year’s Eve in 2019, while the Pelicots were on holiday at their daughter’s home near Paris. While the father-of-one recognised that a sexual encounter had taken place, he told the court he had not had intention to rape.

• Cedric Grassot: 12 years

The 50-year-old admitted to the rape, but said that Pelicot should shoulder most of the blame as ‘the conductor’ of the mass rapes. He asked for drugs from Pelicot because he said he wanted to incapacitate his own girlfriend and rape her, according to reports, but this did not happen.

• Cendric Venzin: Nine years

A former soldier in the French foreign legion, Cendric V was unemployed when he is alleged to have raped Mrs Pelicot on two occasions in 2016 and 2018. He previously denied rape, but in court he changed his mind and said that it was not possible to deny ‘the facts’ of what had happened.

• Jean-Marc LeLoup: Six years.

The eldest defendant denied raping Mrs Pelicot in May 2017, telling the court it had been, in his mind, a ‘sexual game’. The truck driver said he believed Mrs Pelicot would wake up and said he had ‘obeyed orders’ from her husband.

• Patrick Aron: Six years

The 60-year-old admitted a charge of raping Mrs Pelicot but said he had taken part reluctantly, and had instead wanted to have sex with her husband. He had met Pelicot on a chatroom, where he had said: ‘I’m looking for a pervert accomplice to abuse my wife, she takes sleeping pills and I take advantage.’ He said he felt brainwashed by Pelicot.

• Mohamed Rafaa: Eight years

The 70-year-old is accused of raping Mrs Pelicot in May 2019 at the Île-de-Ré holiday cottage of the Pelicots’ daughter, Caroline. He denies the charge. He has already served five years in prison for the rape of his 17-year-old daughter in 1999.

• Mahdi Daoudi: Eight years

The 36-year-old came into contact with Pelicot online and is accused of raping Mrs Pelicot in October 2018, which he denies. He says what happened to her is terrible and places the blame on Pelicot, adding that it was also ‘terrible’ for him to have been caught up in something like this.

• Ahmed Tbarik: Eight years

The father-of-three, who has been married for 30 years, was charged with raping Mrs Pelicot at the couple’s home in June 2019 after meeting her husband in a chatroom. He denied rape and told the court: ‘I’m not a rapist, but if I had wanted to rape I wouldn’t have chosen a 57-year-old woman, I would have chosen a pretty one.’

• Adrien Longeron: Six years

Among the youngest of the accused, Adrien denied raping Mrs Pelicot in March 2014, when he was aged 23. From a wealthy background, he was 21 when he found out from a paternity test that he was not the biological father of a three-year-old child he had been raising as his own with his girlfriend. From then on, he said, ‘I had a hatred towards women’. The former site manager was last year convicted of the rapes of three former partners and is currently serving a 14-year jail sentence.

• Jérôme Vilela: 13 years

The father-of-three admitted he raped Mrs Pelicot and that he had been aware that she was drugged. He allegedly went to the Pelicots’ home on six separate occasions between March and June 2020. He told the court: ‘I didn’t keep going back because rape mode was my thing, but because I couldn’t control my sexuality.’

• Didier Sambuchi: Five years

The lorry driver and divorced father-of-two said he had gone to the Pelicots”http://www.dailymail.co.uk/”exclusively for a homosexual encounter’ with Pelicot on January 30, 2019. He said he believed Mrs Pelicot had been pretending to be asleep and denied rape.

• Karim Sebaoui: 10 years

The 40-year-old denied raping Mrs Pelicot on June 27, 2020, and said he did not attend a second meeting with Pelicot because the first one was ‘too bizarre’. The IT expert is also accused of possessing child pornography, which he claims to have downloaded by accident.

• Vincent Coullet: 10 years

The carpenter was accused of raping Mrs Pelicot twice, in October 2019 and January 2020, but denied the charges. He said he felt no pleasure during the encounter but that Pelicot had told him he ‘enjoyed it’.

Here are the next 10 sentences to be passed:

• Nizar Hamida: 10 years

The Tunisian native was charged with rape after visiting the Pelicots’ home on October 10, 2020, just days before his wedding. He has denied the charges, saying that Pelicot told him that ‘his wife would pretend to be asleep, that it was their fantasy’ and that he could not hear Mrs Pelicot snoring over the sound of the television.The 41-year-old has eight previous convictions, including for domestic violence against two ex-girlfriends.

• Joan Kawai: 10 years

The 26-year-old is the youngest of the defendants and was aged 22 when he raped Mrs Pelicot on two separate visits to her home in 2019 and 2020. The soldier, whose full name is Joan Kwai, first went to the house in November 2019, the day his daughter was born. He then went back another time, and admits to having set off for a third visit, which Pelicot cancelled at the last minute.

• Husamettin Dogan: Nine years

The married father was found guilty of raping Mrs Pelicot in June 2019. The 43-year-old, who had given up part-time work to care for his disabled son, had made contact with Pelicot and went to his home in the same night, telling his wife he was going out. He admitted that he found it strange that Mrs Pelicot’s legs were dangling awkwardly and said she had ‘seemed dead’.

• Hugues Malago: Five years

The motorbike enthusiast and father of two was accused of the attempted rape of Gisele Pelicot a few days before his then girlfriend’s birthday in October 2019. He denies the charge. He said he did not know Gisele Pelicot was drugged and had not looked at her face, just her body.

• Andy Rodriguez: Six years

The unemployed farmhand and father-of-two was convicted of raping Mrs Pelicot on New Year’s Eve 2018. The 37-year-old, who has two domestic violence convictions, said he did not intend to rape Mrs Pelicot, telling the court: ‘As the husband had given me permission, in my mind she agreed to it.’ An alcoholic and regular cocaine user, he said he went to the Pelicots’ home on New Year’s as he had ‘nothing better to do’ after not being invited to his brothers’ party.

• Jean Tirano: Eight years

The 52-year-old drove two-and-a-half hours to rape Mrs Pelicot. He claims he was drugged and ‘does not remember anything’. Judges observed he did not appear drugged in seven videos of the encounter, at one point giving a thumbs up to the camera.

• Thierry Postat: 12 years and life ban from working with children

The father-of-three denied raping Mrs Pelicot on August 21, 2020, saying he did not see anything out of the ordinary about the night in question and had previously had encounters with couples where the man had given consent for the woman. ‘I always thought Mrs Pelicot would wake up,’ he told the court. ‘She wasn’t cold, she wasn’t dead, her skin was soft.’ The 61-year-old was also charged with possession of hundreds of child abuse images which were found after his arrest in the Pelicot case, charges he admitted to.

• Redouane El Farihi: Eight years

The 55-year-old raped Mrs Pelicot at her home on a Saturday night in June 2019. He denied rape and said he thought Mrs Pelicot had been pretending to be dead ‘but never that she’d been drugged,’ despite being a trained anaesthesia nurse.

• Simone Mekenese: Nine years

The father-of-five was the only rapist, apart from her husband, who Mrs Pelicot regonised when she was shown tapes by police. He raped Mrs Pelicot on November 14, 2018. The former mountain infantryman got in touch with Pelicot online before realising they lived less than 200 metres apart. Asked why he went to have sex with Mrs Pelicot, he told the court: ‘Things were going badly with my ex-wife, I was looking for love, an encounter to calm myself.’

• Thierry Parisis: Eight years

The 54-year-old, who had separated from his wife several weeks prior to the alleged attack in July 2020, said he had contacted Pelicot online seeking an encounter with a couple. He denied rape, saying: ‘I didn’t set out from my house saying: ‘I’m going to rape someone.’

Judge Roger Arata has started to pass sentences on Pelicot’s co-defendants after jailing him for 72 years.

We will bring you all the sentences as and when we can:

• Jean-Pierre Marechal has been sentenced to 12 years

Father-of-five Jean-Pierre M was the only defendant not accused of raping or assaulting Mrs Pelicot. He instead was convicted of using the same technique to drug and rape his own wife, and organising for Pelicot to rape her with him. He has been described in court as a ‘disciple’ of Pelicot.

• Jacques Cubeau: Five years

Jacques C, a father-of-two who had been married for 25 years, denied raping Mrs Pelicot but was found guilty. He admitted touching her but said there had been no penetration and as such no rape had taken place. He told the court he had been ‘naive’ and had believed it was a game between the couple and that she would wake up.

• Cyrille Delville: Eight years

He said he visited the Pelicots in September 2019 when his partner was on holiday with their children. He said he had been ‘sexually frustrated’ and wanted to ‘console’ himself.

• Lionel Rodriguez: Eight years

The father-of-three admitted that he was guilty of raping Mrs Pelicot on December 2, 2018 – though he said he had not intended to. ‘Since I never obtained Mrs Pelicot’s consent, I have no choice but to accept the facts,’ he told the court, before apologising to his victim for the ‘nightmare’ she had endured.

• Christian Lescole: Nine years

The 56-year-old firefighter, who was filmed while wearing his uniform, said in court: ‘My body raped her, but my brain didn’t.’ Prosecutors have argued that he should get a 15-year sentence.

• Charly Arbo: 13 years

The 30-year-old was found guilty of six counts of rape. Prosecutors requested a sentence of 16 years for him. He denied rape, saying Pelicot, whom he had met online, had told him that his wife would be ‘pretending to be asleep’.

• Nicolas Francois: Eight years and banned from working in jobs involving children

The 43-year-old freelance journalist, admitted he had ‘lacked judgement and strength of character,’ but also said: ‘I contest the intentionality of the rape.’ He said he went to Mazan on October 10, 2020, to have sex with Pelicot. Was also convicted of possessing child pornography images.

• Boris Moulin: Eight years

The 37-year-old has denied the charge of rape, claiming that he, like Mrs Pelicot, was a victim of her husband. The prosecution contested that ‘at no time did he seek or obtain Gisele Pelicot’s consent’, adding that ‘in reality, he was pleased with the situation presented to him’ by Pelicot. They have asked for him to be sentenced to 12 years.

• Philippe Leleu: Five years, two of which are suspended

The defendant met Pelicot online and organised to meet him on June 7, 2018. He denied having had any intention of raping Gisele Pelicot.

• Joseph Cocco: Three years

The 69-year-old was the only one prosecuted for ‘sexual assault in a group’ and not for rape or attempted rape.

• Fabien Sotton: 11 years

The 39-year-old, who has 16 previous convictions for crimes ranging from armed robber and drug dealing to domestic violence and sexually assaulting a minor, admitted to raping Mrs Pelicot in August 2018. Mrs Pelicot was drugged in her evening meal and carried by her husband to the dining room, where she was attacked, the court heard.

Another five men have received guilty verdicts at the court in Avignon this morning:

• Video store owner Patrick Aron, 60 found guilty of rape aggravated by being in a gang.
• Abdelali Dalal, 47, found guilty of rape aggravated by being in a gang.
• Painter and decorator Gregory Serviol, 31, guilty of rape aggravated by being in a gang on Gisèle Pelicot
• IT worker Cedric Grassot, 50 found guilty of rape aggravated by being in a gang and possessing child pornography
• Cendric Venzin, 44, guilty of rape aggravated by being in a gang on Gisèle Pelicot

Here is another batch of co-defendants to receive guilty verdicts before the judge begins to hand out sentences:

• Ahmed Tbarik, guilty of aggravated gang rape
• Paul Grovogui, guilty of aggravated rape
• Omar Douiri, guilty of aggravated gang rape
• Husamettin Dogan, guilty of aggravated rape aggravated by being in a gang and administering substances
• Mahdi Daoudi, guilty of aggravated rape by being in a gang and administering substances
• Romain Vandevelde, guilty of rape aggravated by being in a gang and administering substances
• Joseph Cocco, declared guilty of sexual molestation aggravated by being in a gang
• Hassan Ouamou , who remains on the run, was found guilty in his absence of rape aggravated by being in a gang
• Redouane El Farihi, found guilty of rape aggravated by being in a gang and administering substances
• Saifeddine Ghabi, found not guilty of rape and attempted rape but found guilty of sexual molestation aggravated by being in a gang. Acquitted of criminal charges.
• Jean Tirano, found guilty of rape aggravated by being in a gang and administering substances
• Mohamed Rafaa found guilty of rape aggravated by being in a gang and administering substances.

The Monster of Avignon Dominique Pelicot has been sentenced to the maximum sentence of 20 years.

The term is what prosecutors asked for prior to today’s sentencing.

Pelicot broke into tears as his sentence was read out, while it was reported his daughter Caroline shouted, ‘you will die like a dog in jail’.

The youngest and oldest of the co-defendants, Joan Kawai and Jean-Marc LeLoup, have now been convicted of aggravated rape.

Here are the following guilty verdicts:

• Labourer Jean-Luc LA, 46, is found guilty of aggravated rape.
• Fabien Sotton, 39, is found guilty of aggravated rape.
• Computer expert Karim Sebaoui, 40 is found guilty of aggravated rape and having child abuse imagery.
• Redouane Azougagh, 40, is found guilty of aggravated rape.
• Soldier Joan Kawai, 26, is found guilty of aggravated rape.
• Truck driver Jean-Marc LeLoup, 74, is found guilty of aggravated rape.
• Andy Rodriguez, 37, is found guilty of attempted rape and aggravating factors.
• Carpenter Vincent Coullet, 42 is found guilty of aggravated rape.
• Adrien Longeron, 34, is found guilty of aggravated rape and child abuse imagery.
• Hugues Malago is found guilty of attempted rape and two aggravating factors.

• Truck driver Didier Sambuchi, 68, has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
• Former lorry driver Cyprien Culieras, 47, is found guilty of aggravated rape.
• Former baker Mathieu Dartus, 53, is found guilty of aggravated rape.
• Lorry driver Quentin Hennebert, 43, is found guilty of aggravated rape.
• Butcher Cyril Beaubis, 54, is found guilty of aggravated rape.
• Gardener Philippe Leleu, 62, is found guilty of aggravated rape.

The following co-defendants have also been found guilty this morning:

• Builder Simoné Mekenese, 42, has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
• Refrigeration specialist Thierry Parisis, , 61, has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
• Electrician Patrice Nicolle, 55, has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
• Nizar Hamida, 41, has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
• Transport worker Boris Moulin, 37, has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
• Lorry driver and ex-soldier Dominique Davies, 45, has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
• Former grocer Jerome Vilela, 46, has been found guilty of aggravated rape.

Gisele Pelicot is looking at each co-defendant with dozens being found guilty of aggravated rape.

We will bring you the full list soon but here is the first batch:

• Charly Arbo, 30, has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
• Christian Lescole, 56. has been found guilty of aggravated rape. He was acquitted of having child abuse imagery.
• Cyrille Delville, 54, was found guilty of aggravated rape.
• Florian Rocca, 32, has been found guilty of aggravated rape.
• Jacques Cubeau, 72, is found guilty of aggravated rape.
• Nicolas Francois, 43, is found guilty of aggravated rape and having child abuse imagery

Dominique Pelicot has been found guilty of the aggravated rape of his wife Gisele Pelicot and the rape of another woman – the wife of one of his co-defendants.

The 72-year-old, who has been dubbed the Monster of Avignon, faces 20 years in jail, with his sentence yet to be announced.

Judges have also found him guilty of the illegal broadcast of images and of recording images of two other women. Police found some 20,000 lurid images and videos of Pelicot’s wife being abused, as well as pictures of his daughter naked, in files on his computer.

Gisele Pelicot arrived at the courthouse with her lawyers to see the verdicts delivered in the case, which has spanned more than three months. Her three children arrived moments before to see their father and his accomplices served justice.

• Read the full story by Elena Salvoni and Nick Fagge here

Jean-Pierre Marechal has been found guilty of aggravated rape of his wife.

The 63-year-old father-of-five is the only defendant not accused of raping or assaulting Mrs Pelicot.

He instead stands accused of using the same technique to drug and rape his own wife, and organising for Pelicot to rape her with him.

He has been described in court as a ‘disciple’ of Pelicot.

Dominique Pelicot was found guilty of the aggravated rape of his wife Gisele Pelicot.

He is also convicted of the aggravated rape and attempted aggravated rape of Cilia Marechal, the wife of co-defendant Jean-Pierre Marechal.

Pelicot was also found guilty of ‘all related offences,’ the judge said..

The hearing has now started in Avignon.

Trial judge president Roger Arata has started speaking and is setting out the process of how he will deliver verdicts to 51 men

He says he will call the defendant to the stand, deliver the verdict and then give the sentence.

We should be able to bring you the first verdicts soon as Dominique Pelicot and his 50 co-defendants are assembled to hear their sentences.

Gisele Pelicot is sat in the court alongside her children David and Caroline as well as two lawyers.

Stick with us as we bring you live updates from Avignon.

On November 23, thousands of people came together on the streets of Paris to protest against sexual violence with many demonstrators voicing solidarity for Gisele Pelicot.

French newspaper Le Monde reported that around 80,000 protesters gathered in the capital with thousands more in smaller cities across the country.

Each of the 51 defendants has been allowed to bring one relative into the court to learn their fate as they await the judges’ verdicts later today.

One woman was seen to break down in tears as she kissed her partner, possibly the last time she will be able to for several years, as he is expecting to be handed a prison sentence.

Other women could not hold back their tears as they sat in the court annexe where the verdicts will be broadcast.

Last month, the Monster of Avignon’s daughter screamed ‘you are lying’ and ‘will die alone’ as he told the court he never touched any of his children or grandchildren.

Retired electrician Dominique Pelicot, 71, denied having any knowledge of photographs that showed his daughter, Caroline Darian, aged 20, lying on a bed unconscious and dressed in lingerie.

Turning to his daughter, he told her: ‘Caroline, I never did anything to you.’

But in a furious outburst Caroline Darian (pictured) screamed: ‘You are lying! You’re not telling half the truth, even about your ex-wife!

‘You will die alone and caught out in lies!’

Pelicot, who had given his final statement to the court, blamed his ‘selfishness’ and the trauma of being raped as a child for his ‘dark fantasies’.

He said being raped at the aged of eight and being forced to participate in a gang rape at the age of 14 ‘created a crack’ in him.

• Read more about the encounter here

Here is Gisele Pelicot, the victim of an alleged mass rape orchestrated by her then-husband at their home in the southern French town of Mazan.

The grandmother arrived this morning with her lawyers Stephane Babonneau and Antoine Camus to attend the verdict in the trial for Dominique Pelicot and 50 co-accused.

Many supporters have gathered to support Gisele with some holding signs and chanting outside the court building this morning.

Earlier this week, Dominique Pelicot (circled above) praised his wife’s courage and appealed to her and their children for forgiveness for the terrible ordeal he had put them through by his twisted pursuit of sexual gratification.

Sitting in the dock of the Vaucluse Criminal Court, the 71-year-old, said:

Hello, I would like to start by saluting the courage of my ex-wife, who was forced to put up with the suggestions that she was complicit [in the rapes].

I ask her, the rest of the family, to please accept my apologies: I regret what I have done. I am sorry for making them suffer for over four years.

I am just a working man and I want to tell my family that I love them, you have the rest of my life in your hands. I ask for your forgiveness.

The trial will reach its conclusion with the dozens of men accused hearing verdicts and if they are convicted, the judge will proceed to sentence them to jail terms of between four and 18 years each, meaning they face more than 600 years in prison.

The only defendant likely to receive the maximum sentence of 20 years is Pelicot himself. He spoke publicly for the last time on Monday to apologise for the betrayal of his wife.

• Read the full story by Nick Fagge in Avignon here

The perpetrators of France’s most notorious sex crime in which grandmother Gisele Pelicot was raped by dozens of men after being drugged by her depraved husband will learn their fate today as judges begin to deliver their verdicts.

The 50 men (one pictured above) from all walks of life face more than 600 years behind bars for their parts in Dominique Pelicot’s warped ten-year campaign in which he watched his wife being abused while knocked out with powerful sedatives.

Pelicot, 72, who has been dubbed ‘The Monster of Avignon’ and has failing health, has accepted that he will die ‘like a dog’ behind bars as he is expected to receive the maximum 20-year sentence.

His 50 accomplices – all of whom are expected to be found guilty – face terms between four and 18 years each.

The trial – which has gathered international attention – has gripped France and the world since its outset in September.

• Read the full story by Nick Fagge, reporting from Avignon, here

For more than 100 days, a courtroom in southern France has been the scene of a trial which has shocked the world.

Firefighters, soldiers, lorry drivers, a DJ and a journalist are among the dozens of men accused of raping a 71-year-old woman at the behest of her husband over the course of a decade – all without her knowledge.

Dominique Pelicot, who has come to be known as the Monster of Avignon, stands accused of drugging, raping and organising the repeated rape and sexual abuse of his wife Gisele by dozens of other men.

He is on trial alongside 50 co-defendants, many of whom he met online and invited to his home in the sleepy Provence village of Mazan, where he would film the hundreds of attacks on his unconscious wife.

Prosecutors have called for a maximum 20-year jail term for Pelicot and have sought sentences of between 10 and 18 years for 49 of the 50 alleged accomplices, with a four-year punishment requested in only one case.

As the trial comes to a close, with a verdict expected this week, looks back at the disturbing testimonies and astonishing excuses given by the men accused of raping and sexually assaulting Gisele Pelicot.

• Read the full story by Elena Salvoni here

Gisele Pelicot’s children Caroline and David have now been pictured arriving at the court in Avignon.

The pair were followed by cameras as they made their way to the court building.

The Pelicots’ daughter Caroline – who believes she is also a victim – and his oldest son David were applauded by crowds who have gathered in Avignon.

Hundreds of people gathered outside the court in Avignon early this morning ahead of the verdicts to be handed down in the mass rape trial.

Many supporters armed with signs have shown support for Gisele Pelicot who has become a symbolism of the fight against sexual violence in France.

Heroine grandmother Gisele Pelicot was given a rousing applause as she arrived at court to learn her abusers’ fate.

Supporters cried : ‘Justice for Gisele!’

And they sang protest songs calling for women to ‘rise up against make violence’.

Madame Pelicot indicated she would speak after the verdicts have been handed down.

Just moments earlier her alleged rapists had run the gauntlet to enter the courthouse with their faces covered.

Other defendants – including primary defendant Pelicot – were brought to the court in prison vans with sirens blaring across the medieval city.

The bravery of Pelicot’s victim wife, Gisele, in allowing her identity to be revealed around the world – and the dignity with which she conducted herself throughout the trial – has seen the case become a cause célèbre for campaigners against sexual violence.

Madame Pelicot has held her head high as she heard and watched films covertly taken by her husband of 50 years in which she was abused at least 90 times by strangers he had invited into their home.

Having waived her legal right to anonymity in order to ensure the case received the maximum amount of publicity, the 72-year-old grandmother refused to be shamed – but instead repeatedly directed any shame at her abusers.

As interest in the case grew, Madame Pelicot was clapped and cheered as she arrived at court and left at the end of the day.

Women who have travelled to the court to show their support have described her as a ‘figurehead of feminism’.

Graffiti honouring her bravery was daubed on Avignon’s medieval stone walls and protests in support of her erupted all over France.

Dominique Pelicot was born on November 27, 1952, in Quincy-sous-Senart, about 18 miles south of Paris.

As a teenager he obtained professional qualifications as an electrician and worked on construction sites in French provinces and the Paris region.

According to reports he attempted to run a business as a real estate agent and a telephone salesman but the ventures failed.

When he was 19 he met his future wife Gisele, with a court hearing he felt ‘love at first sight’.

The couple have three children: David, Caroline and Florian.The family lived in the Paris region but moved in the early 90s.

In 2020, the now retired Pelicot was arrested in a shopping centre after he was caught filming under the skirts of customers.

A search of his devices uncovered hundreds of photos and pornographic videos of women, including family members, but while he was in custody Pelicot disclosed details of a hidden hard drive which contained a file called ‘Abuses’.

It classified the nickname and telephone numbers of attackers, together with some 3,800 photos and videos of Gisèle Pélicot being raped, between 2011 and 2020.

Detectives have listed a total of 92 rapes committed by 72 men, 51 of whom have been identified.

In September, Pelicot admitted to all charges against him in his first testimony, telling the court his now ex-wife, ‘did not deserve this.’

Some 180 journalists from across France and the world queued outside the Avignon Criminal Court before dawn this morning to hear the verdicts delivered against ‘Monster’ Dominique Pelicot and his 50 accomplices in the aggravated rape if his wife Gisèle.

A feminist campaigner protested in the street outside waiving a placard demanding ‘Christmas in jail’ and ‘Easter behind bars’ for Pelicot and the other defendants.

Bus loads of other protesters are expected to join a mass demonstration in support of Gisele Pelicot who has stood proud in to face down her vile abusers over the four month trial that has shocked the world.

Another supporter held two huge placards with a picture of Gisele Pelicot thanking her for her ‘courage’ at waiving her right to anonymity in the trial to highlight the case.

One sign read:

Thank you for your courage Gisele so that shame changes sides.

A second said : ‘Stop violence against women.’

Hello and welcome to ‘s live coverage as the sentencing for a man known as the Monster of Avignon starts in France this morning.

Dominique Pelicot, 72, caused shock and horror across the world after admitting he drugged his wife Gisele, whom he was with for 50 years, for a decade with prescription sleeping pills before raping her and inviting dozens of strangers to do the same.

The retired electrician (pictured above in a court sketch) faces a possible 20-year prison sentence for orchestrating the warped campaign to serially abuse his wife at the Pelicots’ family home in Mazan.

The criminal trial, which began in September, has been the subject to intense media interest as details involving Pelicot and 50 accomplices accused of raping Gisele came to light.

Stick with us as we guide you through the sentencing hearing which starts this morning in Avignon.

Nick Fagge will be reporting from the court in France and I’ll be providing updates in London.