Monster of Avignon’s furious woman calls her attackers ‘degenerate’ as court prepares to watch gruesome videos of her being drugged and raped by dozens of men

The French woman at the centre of today’s trial over the multiple rape of the Monster of Avignon accused her attackers of being “degenerate”.

Gisèle Pélicot, 71, appeared again as a witness on Wednesday to ask the court to allow her to watch horrific videos showing her being drugged and raped by dozens of men.

Her husband Dominque, 73, is accused of raping her and sexually abusing her with at least 50 other men while she was under the influence of drugs.

Ms Pélicot told the court today that she felt humiliated by the defence’s suspicion that she might have been complicit in her ordeal.

“I have not given my consent for one second to Mr. Pelicot, nor to the men standing behind me,” she said.

“Since I arrived in this courtroom, I have been humiliated. I have been called an alcoholic, an accomplice of Mr. Pelicot.

Gisèle Pélicot arrives at the court in Avignon, France

Gisele Pelicot pictured in a sketch with her daughter and lawyer in court today

Gisèle has attended every day of the trial since it began about two weeks ago

“I’ve heard everything. You have to have a certain amount of patience to endure everything I have to hear.”

Judge Roger Arata also asked her if she objected to photos and videos of her rape being shown in court today.

She replied: ‘What matters to me are the videos that are being broadcast here in court. They are the irrefutable evidence of the rapes that I suffered. I do not want the public to be shocked because these videos are unbearable.

“But I don’t want them to be seen by the general public.”

The judge explained that journalists and members of the public were in an adjacent overflow room and warned observers not to take any images that could be shown

As the cross-examination continued, Mrs. Pelicot raised her voice, looked at the accused and said, “To me they are degenerate people.”

On Tuesday, Pélicot pleaded guilty to all charges, saying he had contacted his co-defendants through online chat rooms before filming their brutal crimes in his parents’ home.

“I admit the charges in their entirety,” Pélicot said. “I am a rapist, just like everyone else in this courtroom. They cannot say otherwise.”

As the cross-examination continued, Pélicot continued to insist that he still “loves” his ex-wife.

“I loved her very much for 40 years and loved her badly for 10 years,” Pélicot said. “I ruined everything, I lost everything. I should never have done that.”

Dominique Pélicot is accused of recruiting men online to repeatedly attack his wife over a period of 10 years

Gisele Pelicot (2-R), her daughter Caroline Darian (R) and her lawyers Stephane Babonneau (2-L) and Antoine Camus (L) walk towards the criminal court on Tuesday

Gisele Pelicot’s daughter, Caroline Darian, arrives at the Avignon courthouse on Tuesday flanked by her mother Gisele Pelicot

Ms Pélicot told the court today that she felt humiliated by the suspicion raised by defence lawyers that she may have been complicit in her ordeal.

Mr. Pélicot pictured appearing before the courthouse in Avignon on September 11

Pélicot said he started the attacks on his wife because he was “completely lazy” during his retirement.

He also claimed that at one point he “contemplated suicide” after discovering his wife was having an affair.

Pélicot has been in custody since 2020, after he was first arrested on suspicion of drugging and then raping Ms. Pélicot, inviting men he had approached online to do the same.

Last week, psychologists described Pélicot as a “Jekyll and Hyde” character who appeared to be a normal husband by day but drugged his wife at night so strangers could rape her.

Pélicot was first arrested in September 2020 for secretly filming under women’s skirts in a supermarket in Carpentras.

His equipment was searched and hundreds of pornographic videos and photos of women were found.

While in custody, Mr Pélicot reported a hard drive hidden under a printer containing a file called ‘Abuses’.

Between 2011 and 2020, there are approximately 3,800 photos and videos of the rape of Gisèle Pélicot.

The abuse took place in the town of Mazan, in the south of France, and was only discovered after the man was caught slipping women into a local supermarket, prompting officers to search his home

Gisele arrives at the court in Avignon on Wednesday for the trial

Gisele Pelicot (center), flanked by her lawyers, receives flowers from a member of the public during the trial of her ex-husband for rape at the criminal court in Avignon on Tuesday

Beatrice Zavarro (R), lawyer for Dominique Pelicot, speaks to the press on Tuesday

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

The Pélicot sex club used advertising on a ‘partners’ site on an online forum called ‘Without Her Knowing’ on the website coco.fr.

Of the 83 men involved, 51, aged between 26 and 73, were identified and arrested by police.

Pélicot is said to have drugged his wife by adding Temesta, a powerful anti-anxiety drug, to her dinner.

Alleged rapists involved in the case include civil servants, ambulance workers, soldiers, prison guards, nurses, a journalist, a city councillor and truck drivers.

In another case, Pélicot is charged with the rape and murder of a 23-year-old real estate agent in Paris in 1991.

He admitted attempted rape in 1999 after DNA tests showed there was a case against him.

The case of aggravated rape in Avignon is expected to be heard until December 21.

Fourteen other suspects have also confessed to rape, while the rest deny committing any crime.