2 w. ago ‘These men think they’ve done nothing wrong’: the philosopher who tried to understand Gisèle Pelicot’s rapists

When 50 men went on trial in France, accused of raping a woman who had been drugged by her husband, Manon Garcia was in the courtroom – and in the prosecutors’ closing arguments. How does she make sense of what happened?‘It is so rare, in fact it never happens, that crimes are so well documented.” Manon Garcia is the French feminist philosopher whose thinking featured so prominently in the final stages of the Dominique Pelicot trial. There are, she points out, 20,000 videos and photos of Gisèle Pelicot “being raped, unconscious, by complete strangers”. One might struggle to understand why, in the face of such compelling factual evidence against her husband Dominique and a further 50 men, prosecutors would need to bring in a philosophical argument to explain why this was wrong. But since they did, they couldn’t have found a clearer or more persuasive voice than Garcia’s, the author of We Are Not Born Submissive and The Joy of Consent.Last November, six weeks into the trial, Garcia ar...

Politics

2 w. ago French appeal court increases sentence of Gisèle Pelicot rapist

Husamettin Dogan loses appeal after jury at retrial finds him guilty of raping Pelicot while she was sedatedA man has been found guilty on appeal of raping Gisèle Pelicot after she was drugged unconscious by her husband – and has had his prison sentence increased to 10 years.Husamettin Dogan, 44, an unemployed builder, who had contested his first conviction last year, faced a retrial this week at Nîmes court of appeal. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Increase sentence for Gisèle Pelicot rapist, prosecutor tells court of appeal

Dominique Sie recommends 12-year jail term after Husamettin Dugan’s ‘refusal to take responsibility’ for assaultThe French state prosecutor has called for the jail term of an unemployed builder to be increased after he contested his conviction for raping Gisèle Pelicot after she had been drugged unconscious by her husband.Dominique Sie, the lead state prosecutor, told the court of appeal in Nîmes that Husamettin Dogan’s claims of innocence were an example of how rape culture was still widespread in society as part of “archaic” forms of “male domination”. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Gisele Pelicot rapist's appeal hears shocking details of three

Husamettin Dogan, the only man appealing his conviction for the sexual abuse of Pelicot, was 'fully aware' that she was asleep during the assault, an investigator told the court on Tuesday.

Events

3 w. ago Gisele Pelicot returns to court to face rapist appealing his conviction

The 72-year-old, whose story shocked France, was surrounded by police, her lawyers and her son Florian as she arrived at the courthouse. But her daughter, Caroline Darian, did not attend.

Events

3 w. ago Gisele Pelicot's 51 rapists in full and their twisted excuses as one appeals

The survivor returns to court as one of the men convicted of raping her launches an appeal.

Politics

3 w. ago Gisele Pelicot is mobbed outside court as she once again faces one of her rapists as he appeals conviction, insisting he thought she wanted strangers to have sex with her while drugged

Last year, Husamettin Dogan, 44, was sentenced to nine years in prison for raping Pelicot after her then husband invited him via an online chatroom to abuse her while she was unconscious.

Events

3 w. ago Gisele Pelicot rapist returns to court to appeal conviction, saying he thought she had agreed to be drugged and was 'trapped' by her sick husband

Last year, Husamettin Dogan, 44, was sentenced to nine years in prison for raping Pelicot after her then husband invited him via an online chatroom to abuse her while she was unconscious.

Events

3 w. ago Monster of Avignon' wife Gisèle Pelicot is forced to return to court after one of her rapists appeals conviction

Pelicot, 72, who survived almost a decade of rape involving dozens of men after she was drugged by ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, will attend appeals court in southern France again on Monday.

Events