NÎMES: Dominique Pelicot, one of France’s most notorious sex offenders, testified on Tuesday against the only man appealing a conviction for raping his ex-wife while she was drugged.
Pelicot asserted that Husamettin Dogan was fully aware of his actions during the assault on his then-wife Gisele Pelicot.
For over a decade, Pelicot recruited numerous strangers to abuse his wife while she was unconscious.
Last year, Gisele Pelicot waived her anonymity during the trial of her ex-husband and fifty other accused men, becoming an international symbol against sexual violence.
Dogan is now seeking to overturn his nine-year prison sentence from that trial.
Dominique Pelicot told the court that Dogan had participated willingly in his scheme.
“I never forced anyone, they never needed me,“ the 72-year-old Pelicot stated during the second day of the appeal trial.
He testified that Dogan knew from the beginning that Pelicot sought someone to abuse his wife while she slept.
Dogan maintains his innocence, claiming he believed he was participating in a consensual sexual game with a libertine couple on June 28, 2019.
The 44-year-old defendant insists he is not a rapist.
Pelicot, wearing a grey jacket with a white and blue polo shirt, occasionally glanced at his former wife during his testimony.
Gisele Pelicot showed no visible reaction as her ex-husband spoke, while Dogan sat with slumped shoulders and folded arms.
Dominique Pelicot recruited men through the adult website Coco.fr, which authorities have since shut down.
He stated that Dogan presented himself as “Karim BM” and later visited the couple at their Mazan home.
Pelicot gave Dogan specific instructions to undress, refrain from smoking, and wash his hands with hot water.
“He saw a camera on a tripod and had no doubt that he was being filmed,“ Pelicot told the court.
Pelicot added that Dogan performed various sexual acts on his unconscious wife.
He further testified that Dogan asked him to lift his inert wife’s leg to facilitate penetration from the side.
Investigator Jeremie Bosse-Platiere also challenged Dogan’s defense earlier on Tuesday.
The investigator cited video evidence recorded by Dominique Pelicot during the abuse.
“I have no doubt that he was fully aware of the victim’s condition,“ Bosse-Platiere stated.
He emphasized that anyone viewing the videos would immediately understand the situation.
Dominique Pelicot meticulously recorded the assaults on his sedated wife.
Investigators discovered 107 photos and 14 videos from Dogan’s visit to the couple’s home.
Some videos show Dogan penetrating an unconscious Gisele Pelicot and attempting to force oral sex.
The police commissioner described a video where Gisele Pelicot moved slightly and Dogan immediately withdrew.
“We understand that he is worried that his victim might wake up and freezes in a waiting position,“ Bosse-Platiere explained.
He noted that after thirty seconds, Dogan resumed his assault when he realized it was just a reflex movement.
The investigator stated that both men acted cautiously and meticulously to avoid making noise.
“They whisper so as not to startle the victim and are clearly intent on not waking her up,“ he said.
Dogan claims he stayed at the couple’s home for only thirty minutes.
The investigator countered this, stating video evidence shows Dogan remained for at least three hours and twenty-four minutes.
While acknowledging Pelicot might have been somewhat bossy, the investigator found no evidence of physical coercion or threats in the videos.
Dominique Pelicot has not appealed his twenty-year prison sentence.
Gisele Pelicot is scheduled to testify on Wednesday morning.
The verdict is expected later on Wednesday or Thursday. – AFP
