Monster of Avignon Dominique Pelicot covers his face on the way to court as he is pictured for the first time since his arrest over mass rape of his drugged wife
- Pelicot, 71, was taken to the Vaucluse criminal court under armed guard
This is the first photo of the monster of Avignon, Dominique Pelicot, taken since his arrest for the mass rape of his wife by strangers he met on the Internet.
For the past five weeks, the retired electrician has been driven under armed guard to the Vaucluse court, where he is accused of masterminding the sex case that has shocked the world.
Protected by motorcyclists and driven straight to the courthouse in a marked prison van, Pelicot is shielded from the growing public outrage over his wife Gisele’s unimaginable betrayal.
Pelicot has admitted drugging her dinner and a glass of rose wine to knock her unconscious and then inviting dozens of men to rape his wife in their marital bed for 10 years at their home in a picturesque village in the south of France.
But the 71-year-old has refused to be photographed as he sat in the dock listening as the case against him and 50 men identified by police as his accomplices is heard.
This is the first photo of Monster of Avignon Dominique Pelicot, taken since his arrest for the mass rape of his wife by strangers he met on the Internet
The retired electrician was driven to the Vaucluse court under armed guard throughout the trial, in a case that has shocked the world
Gisele Pelicot arrives at court this morning, accompanied by her legal team
Dominique Pélicot is accused of recruiting men online for a decade to repeatedly assault his wife
However, despite holding his hands up to hide his cheeky face, Pelicot has been exposed as one of France’s worst sex offenders and has been dubbed the Monster of Avignon.
This morning, the gray-haired grandfather returned to the dock, dressed in a white shirt, gray vest and blue pants, to listen as seven of his accomplices were interrogated about their role in this sordid affair.
The case continues to rock France, with many thousands taking to the streets in support of the victim.
Most of the defendants deny they are rapists and claim they were “tricked” by Pelicot, who told them his wife had agreed to participate in a sex game in which she pretended to be asleep during sex.
Detectives discovered around 20,000 graphic images he had collected of the rape of his wife when he was arrested in 2020 after being caught taking pictures under the skirts of women in his local supermarket.
This week, seven men – including a hospital nurse, a construction worker and a pastry chef – will testify in the trial, which is expected to last until the end of the year.