# Dominique Pelicot admits charges in French mass rape trial
Dominique Pelicot has admitted the charges against him in the French mass rape trial, telling the court he was “a rapist like the others in this room” and asking forgiveness from his family.
The 71-year-old accused of drugging his wife Gisèle to sleep and recruiting dozens of men to abuse her has now publicly accepted responsibility for the crimes at the centre of one of France’s most closely watched trials. In testimony that immediately sharpened the case, Pelicot said he was guilty and added that he had betrayed his wife’s trust over many years.
His remarks were significant because they directly challenged the position taken by many of the 50 co-defendants, most of whom deny rape and say they believed they were taking part in consensual sexual encounters. Only 15 of the accused admit rape. Pelicot, by contrast, told the court that all of them knew what was happening. He said: “They all knew, they cannot say the contrary.”
The trial has become a national conversation in France about consent, marital rape and chemical submission. Gisèle Pelicot chose to waive anonymity and demanded that the proceedings be public, a decision her lawyers said was meant to shift shame away from the victim and back onto the accused. Supporters have gathered outside courtrooms and in cities across France in solidarity with her.
In his testimony, Pelicot tried to explain how the abuse began and how it escalated. He described a traumatic childhood and told the court he had been abused by a male nurse when he was nine. He also said that in 2010 he met a man online who suggested he drug his wife and explained how to do it. Pelicot said that was the point at which “everything started.”
He told the court he had filmed the abuse partly for “pleasure” and partly as “insurance.” Investigators say the videos were crucial in identifying the men now facing trial. Pelicot also insisted that he never forced the defendants into the room and said he did not “manipulate” anyone except his wife. He claimed the men must have known they were being filmed because of the tripod and screen set up in the room.
Gisèle Pelicot responded shortly after his testimony, saying it was difficult to listen to and that she had lived for 50 years with a man she never imagined capable of such acts. Her lawyers have framed the case as one that could reshape public understanding of domestic and sexual violence.
The defendant is also accused of drugging and abusing his daughter, Caroline, an allegation he denies. He has said he never touched his grandchildren. His lawyer said he was “sharing his truth” and that the confession was not complete.
The hearing took place after Pelicot had been absent for nearly a week because of illness. The court is expected to continue hearing his evidence, with regular breaks allowed.
The case is also drawing wider attention because it puts the issue of consent into open court in a way that is rare even in major criminal trials. By making the proceedings public, Gisèle Pelicot ensured that the trial is not just about one husband’s conduct but about the network of men who entered the room, the evidence that tracked them down, and the social language used to excuse or conceal abuse.
That larger significance helps explain why the hearing has resonated beyond the courtroom. The trial is not only about punishment; it is also about how institutions, families and bystanders respond when abuse is hidden inside a marriage. Pelicot’s admission may strengthen the prosecution’s narrative, but it also leaves a devastating record of betrayal that the court will have to weigh alongside the denials from other defendants.
