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Dominique Pelicot reveals why he ‘became perverted’ and started inviting men to rape his drugged wife

Dominique Pelicot said that his “selfish moment” came when he met a male nurse online in 2010 who suggested that he drug his wife

Published on: Sep 18, 2024, 13:55:24 IST
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Dominique Pelicot, the French man accused of drugging his wife and inviting strangers to rape her, has admitted to all charges against him. In his first testimony yesterday since the trial opened on September 2, Pelicot, 71, also spoke about why he “became perverted” after several decades of marriage and began drugging his wife Gisele Pelicot so strangers could rape her.

Dominique Pelicot, who has allegedly drugged and raped his wife Gisele Pelicot, appears during his trial with 50 co-accused at the courthouse in Avignon, France, September 17, 2024, in this courtroom sketch. REUTERS/ZZIIGG NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. (REUTERS)
Dominique Pelicot, who has allegedly drugged and raped his wife Gisele Pelicot, appears during his trial with 50 co-accused at the courthouse in Avignon, France, September 17, 2024, in this courtroom sketch. REUTERS/ZZIIGG NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. (REUTERS)

The 71-year-old French man is on trial for inviting over 51 men to rape his wife while she was unconscious. The abuse took place between 2011 and 2020. Pelicot would mix sedatives or anti-anxiety medication in his wife’s evening meal to render her unconscious and had a list of rules for the strangers whom he invited into their home to rape her.

“I was not born perverted”

Pelicot claimed that he repented his actions and asked his family for forgiveness. He also said he “was not born perverted” as he repeatedly claimed that he loved his wife.

“I loved her well for 40 years and badly for 10,” he said, referring to the decade when the abuse took place.

“We become perverted when we meet someone who gives us the possibility. Then we become perverted, yes,” the retired estate agent added, according to The Mirror.

Dominique Pelicot said that his “selfish moment” came when he met a male nurse online in 2010 who suggested that he drug his wife. The nurse showed him how to administer Temesta, an anti-anxiety medicine, and showed him photos of drugged women.

“He gave me the dosage. I saw photos of his wife. That was the moment it started. I think about it,” the French man said, calling it the moment he “became perverted.”

(Also read: 'She didn't deserve this': 5 remarks by Dominique Pelicot who drugged wife, invited strangers to rape her)

Pelicot then began using an internet forum called Without Her Knowledge to invite strangers to rape his wife. The men he enlisted – many of whom were in court Tuesday – ranged from a civil servant, a prison guard, a former police officer, a firefighter, a journalist and nurses. Their ages ranged between 24 to 74.

The men would come to the Pelicots’ home in the French village of Mazan to rape Gisele Pelicot, who waived her legal right to anonymity so her trial could get more publicity.

  • Sanya Jain
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Sanya Jain

    Sanya Jain is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times Digital. She has nearly a decade of experience in covering offbeat stories that speak to the everyday experience - from viral videos to human interest copies that spark conversation. Her interests stretch across business, pop culture, social media trends, entertainment and global affairs. Before joining Hindustan Times, Sanya spent two years with Moneycontrol and five years with NDTV. She holds an undergraduate degree in English literature from St Stephen’s College, Delhi, and a master’s in journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai. Sanya has a sharp eye for spotting emerging trends and looking for newsworthy angles to elevate viral posts into meaningful narratives. She was the first one, for example, to cover Narayana Murthy’s remark on 70-hour work weeks that sparked a national conversation. She is equally at ease writing about business leaders as about the common man, about issues of national importance and memes that amuse social media. Sanya enjoys speaking with content creators, newsmakers and entrepreneurs to transform everyday moments into engaging, slice-of-life stories that resonate with readers. When she is not working, Sanya can be found curled up with a good book. Born and raised in Lucknow, she has spent the last several years in Delhi. She is deeply interested in animal welfare and now spends a lot of her time running after her destructive orange cat.Read More

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