At least 15 men found guilty in the Gisèle Pelicot case are appealing their convictions, seeking a new trial after the initial verdicts.
Avignon: So, here’s the scoop. At least 15 guys who were found guilty of raping Gisèle Pelicot are now appealing their convictions. They want another shot at a trial.
Originally, 51 men were convicted, including her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot. They got prison sentences ranging from three to 20 years after a pretty intense three-and-a-half-month trial.
Dominique, who got 20 years, had a disturbing history. He invited strangers into their home to assault Gisèle while she was heavily drugged. It’s just awful.
Among the 51, 15 have officially filed appeals. This news came out just days after some of them started the process. They have until midnight on Monday to get their appeals in.
One of the guys appealing is Charly Arbo, a 30-year-old vineyard worker. He was sentenced to 13 years and was accused of raping Gisèle on her 66th birthday. There’s even video evidence of him discussing drugging and assaulting her.
Then there’s Redouan El Farihi, a 55-year-old ex-nurse, who also appealed after getting an eight-year sentence. He claims he didn’t realize Gisèle was drugged, even though she was clearly unconscious in the footage.
Gisèle has been incredibly brave throughout this whole ordeal. She decided to come forward and share her story to shift the shame from victims to the perpetrators.
Her lawyer, Stéphane Babonneau, mentioned that Gisèle isn’t worried about another trial. She’s ready to face whatever comes next.
Dominique kept a shocking amount of evidence, over 20,000 videos, documenting the crimes. It’s just mind-boggling how this all unfolded.
