🔗 Share this article French Appeal Court Increases Sentence for Gisèle Pelicot Rapist A man has been found guilty on higher court review of raping Gisele Pelicot after she was sedated by her spouse – and received his incarceration period increased to 10 years. Higher Court Case Dogan, 44, an out-of-work construction worker, who had challenged his initial guilty verdict last year, faced a new trial this week at the higher court in Nîmes. A panel of five men and four women, sitting with three judges, found Dogan guilty on Thursday of sexually assaulting the victim in her residence in southern France in the morning of 29 June 2019. The testimony revealed that Dogan, a family man, connected with Gisèle Pelicot’s spouse, Dominique Pelicot, in an online chatroom titled “unbeknownst to her”, where Pelicot was recruiting men to enter his residence to assault his wife after he had drugged her into a deep sleep. We trust the jury will say loud and clear that in this society, fundamental rights are also rights of women – that agreement is individual, not given by another,” stated the victim's lawyer, Antoine Camus. “Agreement is received directly and not via a representative from a husband.” Case History The ex-husband, one of the worst sex offenders in France's contemporary records, was sentenced to twenty years in prison last year for incapacitating his spouse and bringing in numerous individuals to sexually assault her in her home in the Provence village of the village of Mazan over a duration of almost a decade of their union. Dozens of additional defendants were found culpable in a notable trial last year, and Dogan was the only man to challenge his verdict. He was originally handed a term to 9 years in prison, a penalty increased on Thursday to 10 years. The lead state prosecutor, the prosecutor, had stated he should serve 12 years, because he “absolutely refuses to take any responsibility”. Courtroom Details Dogan had initially sent the husband inappropriate pictures and then driven an hour from his town in the region to assault the victim, after informing his wife he was leaving, the court heard. Pelicot, who was transported from isolation in prison to briefly give evidence at the hearing, stated to the court that Dogan had known his wife had been “drugged” and he communicated to men by phone: “I’m looking for someone to assault my wife after I’ve sedated her without her knowledge.” The trial became a key topic for a broader debate on rape culture in society as the defendant continued to claim he was blameless and had not committed rape, stating that because Gisèle Pelicot’s husband had invited him into the bedroom, his behavior had been permissible. The jury in the higher court was presented with video evidence of Gisèle Pelicot’s unconscious figure, sedated and breathing heavily in a comatose state, while a grinning the perpetrator committed rape on several occasions over a duration of what authorities reported was 3.5 hours. The judge said she had been at peril of death by asphyxiation. The prosecution said there was no question that she had been unconscious and had not given permission. Defendant's Statements Dogan informed the court the footage were simply “sex scenes” and denied it was rape. He said what he did was “a sexual act”, not assault. He told the court: “I never raped.” He said Gisèle Pelicot’s husband had allowed him to the house, and therefore it was OK. He said he was manipulated by the husband. “I attempted to cease,” Dogan told the court. “I carried on because he convinced me.” Questioned if he wanted to make a closing remarks to the court, the defendant said: “I never wanted to injure that individual.” Survivor's Statement The survivor, who was applauded upon exiting the courtroom each day by supporters present to stand with her, addressed Dogan in court: “You haven’t understood. When are you going to recognise you raped me? It is illegal to assault an unaware woman. How could I have give you permission? Never.” The victim, seventy-two, became an international feminist hero after she waived her right to privacy in the trial last year when she said: “Guilt ought to transfer.” State's Argument Sie, speaking to Gisèle Pelicot in court, said Dogan’s refusal to take blame showed that: “The shame remains. The community is perhaps in the process of that, perhaps motivated by the public consciousness brought by the publication of your situation.” Sie said Dogan’s claims of innocence showed how rape culture was still common in society as part of “old-fashioned” forms of “male domination”. He said: “It is imperative to change rape culture to a culture of consent.” Sie told the defendant: “As long as you reject it, it’s not just a person, it’s an entire sordid societal structure that you are endorsing.” Defendant's Background Dogan was originated from the country of Turkey and at the age of five came to the nation of France, where his parent worked as a concierge. The evidence indicated that his parent was aggressive and that Dogan began using drugs at the age of 10. When he was 17 he was stopped by police for selling narcotics and his father forced him to leave of home. He spent time in prison for trafficking in his young adulthood and had worked as a laborer but had undergone periods of homelessness. He was married and had a son with Down’s syndrome, who he was the main caregiver for, as his wife worked in a institution's dining hall. The court heard his wife did not know he had frequent sexual encounters beyond their union. His defence said this was his strategy for managing with his challenging existence. Dogan had stated to a mental health expert that annually he looked for paid sex on his special day. His attorneys stated to the court he had joint inflammation triggered by the pressure of the original case.