Feminist Icon Gisèle Pelicot Back in Court as Man Appeals Rape Conviction
French feminist icon, Gisèle Pelicot returned to court on Monday as one of 51 men convicted of raping her began an appeal against his sentence, reopening one of France’s most disturbing and closely followed rape cases.
The appeal trial, taking place at the Nîmes Court of Appeal, concerns Husamettin Dogan, 44, who was sentenced to nine years in prison in December 2024 for aggravated rape.
Dogan was among dozens of men convicted of participating in the drug-facilitated sexual assault of Pelicot, orchestrated by her now ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, over nearly a decade.
During the original trial, prosecutors revealed that Dominique Pelicot had drugged his wife repeatedly between 2011 and 2020, filming and arranging for strangers he met online to rape her while she was unconscious. The shocking case, described by French media as “unprecedented,” led to the conviction of 51 men, with Dominique Pelicot receiving 20 years’ imprisonment, the maximum sentence allowed.
Gisèle Pelicot, now 72, became a symbol of courage after she waived her right to anonymity and insisted on a public trial. Her decision drew nationwide attention to the issue of drug-facilitated sexual violence and inspired reforms in how French authorities handle similar cases.
In court on Monday, Dogan’s legal team argued that he had been deceived by Dominique Pelicot and believed he was taking part in consensual group sex, unaware that the woman was unconscious. His lawyers claim he did not know Pelicot was unable to consent at the time of the assault.
The prosecution maintains, however, that Dogan’s actions constituted rape, emphasizing that consent cannot exist when the victim is incapacitated or unconscious.
Pelicot attended the hearing accompanied by her youngest son, Florian, telling reporters outside the courtroom that her presence was “a duty” and that she wanted to remind society that “rape is rape even when the victim cannot speak or resist.”
The appeal is expected to last several days, with a ruling likely later this week.
Dominique Pelicot, who received the harshest sentence in the original case, has not appealed his conviction.
Gisèle Pelicot’s ordeal and her decision to speak publicly have turned her into a feminist icon in France, sparking broader conversations about consent, male complicity, and the hidden reality of drug-assisted sexual crimes.
