A judge in France on Thursday found the former husband of Gisèle Pelicot, who admitted to drugging and raping her repeatedly over the course of almost a decade and inviting dozens of other men to assault her as well, guilty of aggravated rape. Forty-nine men whom Dominique Pelicot brought into his home to assault his wife were also convicted Thursday as part of the same landmark trial.
The man convicted of orchestrating the sustained assaults over the years was given the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, while his co-accused were handed sentences ranging from three to 15 years.
Over the course of the trial, Gisèle Pelicot — who insisted that her full name be published and the court proceedings be made public — was praised for her courage and became a symbol of the fight against sexual violence in France and around the world.
