AVIGNON, France: French prosecutors on Tuesday demanded sentences of up to 14 years for some of the remaining co-defendants of a man charged with enlisting dozens of strangers to rape his wife while she was drugged and unconscious.
On Monday, prosecutors requested a maximum 20-year jail term for Dominique Pelicot, who has been on trial in the southern city of Avignon since September with 49 other men for organizing the rapes and sexual abuse of Gisele Pelicot, now his former wife.
One man is being tried in absentia.
The case has sparked horror, protests and a debate about male violence in France, with tens of thousands of protesters staging demonstrations across the country on Saturday against violence targeting women.
The decade-long abuse of Gisele Pelicot by Dominque Pelicot was only uncovered when he was arrested for a separate upskirting offense, leading investigators to discover his meticulously-kept records of the visitors to the family home in the town Mazan.
Until Wednesday, or latest Thursday morning, prosecutors are outlining their sentencing demands for all the defendants, most of whom come from ordinary professions ranging from the fire brigade to the media.
On Tuesday, public prosecutor Laure Chabaud asked for a 14-year sentence for Karim S., 38, who was one of the few defendants whose messaging with Dominique Pelicot was discovered by investigators.
For Florian R., 32, who did not admit 鈥渋ntent鈥� and Gregory S., 31, who was 鈥渁ware of Gisele Pelicot鈥檚 altered state,鈥� Chabaud demanded thirteen years in prison.
Some defense lawyers have described the sentencing demands as 鈥渟taggering鈥� and 鈥渙ut of proportion,鈥� alleging the public prosecutor鈥檚 office was under pressure from 鈥減ublic opinion.鈥�
鈥淚 fear what will happen next,鈥� said Louis-Alain Lemaire, a lawyer for four defendants.
But public prosecutors say the trial should herald a fundamental change in society.
鈥淚n 2024, we can no longer say 鈥榮he didn鈥檛 say anything, she agreed,鈥� that鈥檚 from another era,鈥� Chabaud said on Monday.
Prosecutors asked for a 12-year sentence for nine of the remaining defendants, including Boris M., 37, who claimed during the hearings that he, too, was a victim.
鈥淗e says he was a victim of Dominique Pelicot, like Gisele Pelicot,鈥� prosecutor Jean-Francois Mayet said.
But 鈥渁t no time did he seek or obtain Gisele Pelicot鈥檚 consent,鈥� he said, adding, 鈥渋n reality, he was pleased with the situation presented to him鈥� by the main defendant.
Prosecutors sought a 12-year sentence for Mahdi D., 36, who also claimed to be a victim of Dominique Pelicot鈥檚 actions.
Chabaud also asked for 12-years for Lionel R., 44, who said he was taking 鈥減art in a couple鈥檚 fantasy.鈥�
Many of the accused argued in court that they believed Pelicot鈥檚 claim that they were participating in a libertine fantasy, in which his wife had consented to sexual contact and was only pretending to be asleep.
Among them, 33 have also claimed they were not in their right minds when they abused or raped Gisele Pelicot, a defense not backed by any of the psychological reports compiled by court-appointed experts.
Prosecutors also sought a 12-year jail term for Cyril B., 47, who 鈥渨as well aware Gisele Pelicot should not be woken up,鈥� and for Thierry P., 54, who said Dominique Pelicot was 鈥渟olely responsible,鈥� the public prosecutor said.
Mayet demanded the same prison sentence for Omar D., 36, who argued 鈥渢he husband鈥檚 consent and presence seemed to be sufficient,鈥� and Ahmed T., 54, who 鈥渄enies any responsibility.鈥�
Two other defendants, Redouane A., 40, who said he came to Mazan to 鈥減lease the couple鈥� and Jean T., 52, who claimed without evidence he was also drugged by the main defendant, are also facing a 12-year jail-term.
On Monday, prosecutors requested a 17-year prison sentence for one defendant, Jean-Pierre M., 63, who applied Pelicot鈥檚 practices against his own wife to rape her a dozen times, sometimes in Pelicot鈥檚 presence.
The trial has made Gisele Pelicot, who insisted the hearings be held in public, a feminist icon in the fight of women against sexual abuse.
Prosecutor Mayet praised her 鈥渃ourage鈥� and 鈥渄ignity,鈥� thanking her for allowing the hearings to be held in public.
The verdicts and sentencing are expected by December 20.