IT is the sickening mass trial that has shocked the world – a husband who allegedly drugged his own wife so 72 men could rape her.
Prior to the airing of a documentary delving into Dominique Pelicot’s crimes, a psychologist has shed light on the disturbing motives behind the actions of the father-of-three. The psychologist claims that Pelicot was a twisted individual who found pleasure in the power dynamics of being a ‘teacher’, deriving arousal from the control he exerted.
Serena Simmons, a chartered psychologist who closely followed the case, elaborated to The Sun, stating: “I believe he took pleasure in the dynamic of a teacher and pupil, relishing his role as the one in control and the ultimate decision-maker.
“He wanted the other men to know he controlled her, that was part of his arousal.
“He liked to instruct, elevating his status.”
Serial rapist Pelicot showed his “pupils” how to force themselves on his wife Gisele as she slept without her becoming aware of the depraved attacks.
One of the Frenchman’s partners in crime has admitted going on to drug his own wife prior to sex and inviting Pelicot to join in.
Pelicot, 71, told other men not to wear aftershave or to smoke prior to getting into bed with his incapacitated wife in case the odour awakened her.
It has come to light that before resorting to finding victims online, Pelicot used to take his unsuspecting wife to truck stops while she was asleep and propose that strangers engage in sexual activities with her.
Thirty-five men accused of raping Gisele at her home in Mazan in the South of France have denied the charges, while another 14 have pleaded guilty, including Pelicot.
The judges are expected to deliver their verdicts on December 20 for the case, which began in September and has sparked outrage across the world.
In a new Channel 5 documentary titled The Pelicot Rape Case, one defendant claims that he engaged in sexual acts with Gisele under the command of her husband.
The French man, wearing a wedding ring, moans that he was “terrorised…to the point I lost all judgment and submitted to his orders.
“Madam Pelicot was a victim of rape, as for me I was the victim of terror.
“There is one predator and two victims.”
This shocking defence is not dissimilar to the ones put forward by the other alleged rapists.
They claim that they were “conned” by Pelicot into having sex with his wife or that they didn’t think she was unconscious at the time or that her husband giving consent made it permissible.
It is very telling how many of the men have put themselves in the role of victim
Serena Simmons
Such arguments have led to outrage in France, where thousands have protested against male violence.
Gisele has become a symbol of female courage for waiving her right to anonymity in the court case in order for the full details of the crimes to be known.
Serena says: “It is very telling how many of the men have put themselves in the role of victim. ‘Poor me, I’ve been duped.’
“It is a common human trait to put yourself in a state of inferiority as if you need attention.”
Pelicot video-recorded the men having sex with Gisele while she appeared to sleep, so the prosecution seem to have a strong case.
In some recordings she can even be heard snoring loudly.
Against the law
Protesters have also called for a change to the law.
In France consent is not the deciding factor when it comes to someone being found guilty of rape.
Instead the prosecution have to prove that the offender intended to commit rape.
The defence of most of the accused is that they did not go to the Pelicot home with the intention of sexually assaulting Gisele.
There has also been criticism of the defence lawyers, who have questioned Gisele’s own desires, such as asking whether she ever considered swinging.
‘Without Her Knowledge’
The defendants cover a wide spectrum of society, including a baker, nurse, fireman and soldier, ranging in age from 21 to 68.
The defendant who spoke to the documentary anonymously shockingly claimed: “I can’t accept that I went with the intention of rape. I can’t accept that I am a rapist.”
He claims that there was no discussion about any sexual activity prior to going to Pelicot’s home.
But that will be a tough defence to maintain for the accused, who first struck up a conversation with Gisele’s husband via a chat room called Without Her Knowledge.
On the twisted internet message board, men discussed having sex with a partner while she was unconscious.
The court case has exposed this criminal activity, which is more widespread than anyone could have known.
The desire to have sex with someone while they are unconscious is known as somnophilia.
Serena says: “At the heart of this is a desire to do something to someone while the other person is unconscious, which is somnophilia, because you are only aroused by someone who is unconscious.”
She reveals there is a “huge dark figure – people we don’t know about” who engage in this sexual act because “somnophilia isn’t something people speak about at the dinner table”.
There are some people who consent to their partner having sex with them while they are asleep, so that is not considered to be a criminal offence.
But if, as in the case of Gisele, the woman does not consent it is rape under British law.
Criminal mind
Thanks to DNA evidence obtained following Pelicot’s arrest for the rape of his wife, we know that his crimes stretch back as far as 1999.
He has pleaded guilty to one attempted rape of an estate agent back then.
It could go back further, because the former electrician has been charged with the rape and murder of a 23-year-old estate agent in Paris in 1991.
Even before he started inviting the men to his home in Mazan he was drugging Gisele and offering her to strangers in his car.
Serena says: “In my mind he is a career offender.
“Dominique was driving to truck stops quite far out of town and he was having sex with Gisele while she was unconscious and he was offering her to other men as well.”
The police believe at least 72 men were invited to rape Gisele by her husband, but not all of them have been tracked down.
Dominique was driving to truck stops quite far out of town and he was having sex with Gisele while she was unconscious
Serena Simmons
He was only stopped because a security guard at a supermarket in the town of Carpentras persuaded a woman to go to the police in September 2020 for upskirting.
The police investigation found rape videos on mutiple devices.
Serena thinks the fact that Pelicot spent so much time “refining” his criminal activity, including asking the men to warm their hands on a radiator so their cold touch wouldn’t wake Gisele up, shows he was obsessive.
How you can get help
Women’s Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – [email protected].
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
She says: “He would have been thinking about this all the time. The meticulous planning shows he was refining the process.”
But Serena cautions against putting a psychological label on Pelicot’s behaviour.
She concludes: “There is a tendency to label people who commit criminal acts, but we forget that sometimes people are just bad.
“Most criminals are functioning in society.”
