“I’m a rapist,” her husband admits at gang rape trial in France

Dominique Pelicot, the 71-year-old man accused of drugging his wife to put her to sleep and recruiting dozens of men to abuse her for more than 10 years, admitted to all charges against him in his first testimony since the trial opened on September 2.

Referring to the 50 co-defendants accused of raping his ex-wife Gisèle, Mr Pelicot said: “I am a rapist like the others in this room.”

“They all knew it, they can’t say otherwise,” he said.

About his ex-wife, he said: “She didn’t deserve this.”

“I was very happy with her,” he told the court.

Gisèle, who had the opportunity to react shortly after, said: “It’s difficult for me to hear this. For 50 years, I lived with a man who I would never have imagined could be capable of this. I trusted him completely.”

Mr. Pelicot, who suffered from a kidney infection and kidney stones, was absent from court for nearly a week due to illness. He is scheduled to testify throughout the day, but will be allowed frequent breaks.

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