Gisele Pelicot left a courtroom in France after a carpenter accused of raping her explained that he didn’t ‘have much choice’ when choosing someone to commit the act against
Sex abuse survivor Gisèle Pelicot walked out of a courtroom after hearing a sick statement made by one of her accused rapists.
Vincent C, who has previously been convicted of domestic violence, shared his sickening involvement in the mass rape scandal in France. According to reports, the 43-year-old is an alcoholic and a drugs user. He is one of 51 men accused of raping the mother, who was drugged by her husband Dominique Pelicot, over the course of ten years.
Vincent was detained after two files were found on Dominique’s computer labelled, “night of 27 10 19 with Vincent aged 3” and “night of 11 01 20 with Vincent.” The court heard how Vincent usually visited the Coco.fr website on Saturday nights. He said that the process to visit the Pelicot household was “very quick” and mentioned that the couple only lived “five minutes” from the town of Mazan – where Dominque lived.
“I was looking for people nearby. I wasn’t attracted by forums, I wasn’t there to chat for hours on end,” he added. Gisèle was unaware of her husband’s horrifying plans for dozens of men to rape her. She remained unconcious during the sadistic acts.
Speaking about his arrangement with Dominque, Vincent said: “It was very quick. I logged on and, half an hour later, the appointment was made.” Vincent further claimed that he didn’t have much choice when it came to finding someone to commit the act against, reports LeMonde. “It’s not a supermarket, is it, Coco!”
Gisèle rose from her seat and exited the courtroom after Vincent made his nonchalant remarks. She was accompanied by a psychologist who has been supporting her throughout the trial. Vincent was earlier asked whether he admits to the counts of aggravated rape, which he was charged with, but he denied them. When asked by Antoine Camus, one of Gisèle’s lawyers, why he didn’t admit to the charges, he said that he identified the “acts” but didn’t consider them as rape.
Ms Pelicot, 71, has become a symbol of the fight against sexual violence in France. She has insisted that the trial be public, against the court’s suggestion that it be held behind closed doors. Since the hearings started on September 2, Ms Pelicot has come face-to-face almost daily with her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, and 49 other alleged rapists.
Gisèle previously said she felt humiliated by questioning from defence lawyers who had argued that the men may have had a lapse in judgment. “I have felt humiliated while I’ve been in this courtroom. I have been called an alcoholic, a conspirator of Mr Pelicot,” she said. “In the state I was in, I absolutely could not respond. I was in a comatose state; the videos show that.”
Speaking about the men on trial, she commented: “These men are degenerates. They committed rape … When they see a woman sleeping on her bed, no one thought to ask themselves a question? Don’t they have brains?” She added: “When does a husband decide for his wife?”
