FILE PHOTO: Women lay flowers in a tribute during a silent march to support Gisele Pelicot, who has allegedly been drugged and raped by men solicited by her husband Dominique Pelicot at their home, and other female victims of violence, as the trial of Frenchman Pelicot and 50 co-accused continues, in Mazan, France, October 5, 2024. REUTERS/Manon Cruz/File Photo
AVIGNON, France (Reuters) - The sons of the man who organised the mass rape of their mother Gisele Pelicot in a case that has rocked France, asked a court on Monday to punish him severely and said they would never forgive him.
Dominique Pelicot has admitted in court to inviting dozens of strangers over nearly 10 years to their house to rape his wife, now 71, after he drugged her. Fifty other men are also accused of raping her.
"Our family has been destroyed," one of the sons, 50-year-old David Pelicot, told the court in Avignon. "I expect from this trial that ... these men, and that man in the dock (his father), will be punished for the horrors they inflicted on my mother."
At one point, Dominique Pelicot interrupted his son's testimony, saying he wanted to apologise for what he had done. David Pelicot replied: "Never!"
He said he and other family members had destroyed photos to make sure they kept no trace of his father.
Speaking at times through tears, David said that he hoped the trial would encourage other women to speak up about rape, echoing previous statements by his mother who asked for the trial to be held in public to shed light on the abuse.
Under French law, she could have kept her anonymity and had the trial held behind closed doors. The case has triggered protests across France in support of Gisele Pelicot.
David's 38-year-old brother Florian told the court of the chaos that followed the news four years ago of the ordeal that their mother had suffered at the hands of their father.
He said his father was dead to him. "It's been four years since I lost my father," he told the court, crying at times. "Our family has been torn apart."
He asked the court to impose tough sentences, "so that victims no longer need to be afraid of speaking up".
Their sister, Caroline Darian, who testified earlier in the trial, told the court again on Monday that she believed she had also been abused by her father.
"The only difference between me and my mother is that there is evidence (for the abuse her mother suffered)," she said.
The statements followed weeks of testimony from the accused men, now aged 26 to 74, most of whom deny having raped Gisele Pelicot.
Gisele Pelicot is due to testify again on Tuesday, followed by Dominique Pelicot.
The court's verdict on all the charges, and the sentencing, is expected around Dec.20.
(Writing by Ingrid Melander, additional reporting by Antony Paone, editing by Andrew Heavens)
