🔗 Share this article French Higher Court Uphighers Jail Time for Gisele Pelicot Perpetrator A man was declared guilty on retrial of sexually assaulting Gisèle Pelicot after she was sedated by her husband – and received his jail term extended to a decade. Appeal Trial Husamettin Dogan, 44, an out-of-work construction worker, who had appealed his initial guilty verdict last year, faced a appeal hearing this week at the appeals court in Nîmes. A panel of nine jurors, sitting with three judges, ruled against Dogan on Thursday of sexually assaulting Pelicot in her residence in the south of France in the early hours of 29 June 2019. The testimony revealed that Dogan, a family man, connected with Gisèle Pelicot’s then husband, the husband, in an internet forum titled “unbeknownst to her”, where Pelicot was recruiting men to come to his home to rape his wife once he had rendered her unconscious into a unconscious state. We expect the court will declare that in this nation, human rights are also women’s rights – that agreement is personal, not transferred,” declared Gisèle Pelicot’s attorney, her legal representative. “Permission is secured directly and not via a representative from a husband.” Background The ex-husband, a notorious sex offenders in recent French history, was given a prison term to 20 years in prison last year for sedating his then wife and soliciting dozens of men to sexually assault her in her home in the town of the village of Mazan over a period of nearly ten years of their union. Fifty other men were found convicted in a high-profile trial last year, and Dogan was the sole individual to challenge his sentence. He was originally sentenced to nine years in prison, a penalty increased on Thursday to 10 years. The lead state prosecutor, the prosecutor, had contended he should serve 12 years, because he “completely denies to take any accountability”. Testimony and Proof Dogan had first sent the husband inappropriate pictures and then driven an hour from his town in Provence to assault Gisèle Pelicot, after telling his wife he was going out, the testimony revealed. Pelicot, who was transported from isolation in prison to temporarily give evidence at the hearing, informed the court that the accused had understood his wife had been “drugged” and he communicated to men by phone: “I’m looking for someone to assault my wife after I’ve rendered her unconscious without her knowledge.” The courtroom became a central issue for a broader debate on rape culture in society as the defendant continued to say he was blameless and had not perpetrated assault, stating that because Gisèle Pelicot’s husband had allowed him into the room, his behavior had been permissible. The jury in the higher court was displayed video evidence of the victim's limp body, sedated and breathing heavily in a deep sleep, while a grinning the perpetrator performed assault multiple times over a period of what investigators stated was three and a half hours. The judge said she had been at danger of death by suffocation. The state's case said there was no question that she had been unconscious and had not consented. Dogan's Claims The defendant stated to the court the recordings were simply “intimate moments” and disputed it was rape. He said what he did was “an intimate behavior”, not assault. He declared the court: “I did not commit rape.” He said the victim's husband had invited him to the house, and therefore it was OK. He said he was manipulated by the husband. “I wanted to stop,” the accused stated to the court. “I continued because he persuaded me.” Questioned if he wanted to make a final statement to the court, the defendant said: “I had no desire to harm that individual.” Victim's Response The victim, who was cheered upon exiting the courtroom each day by crowds gathered to support her, addressed Dogan in court: “You do not grasp. When will you admit you raped me? It is unlawful to rape an incapacitated woman. At what point did I give you agreement? Not once.” Gisèle Pelicot, seventy-two, became an global icon after she waived her right to confidentiality in the trial last year when she said: “Guilt ought to transfer.” Prosecutor's Remarks The prosecutor, addressing Gisèle Pelicot in court, said Dogan’s refusal to take blame showed that: “The shame remains. The public is maybe in the course of that, possibly motivated by the public consciousness resulting from the revelation of your case.” The prosecutor said Dogan’s claims of innocence showed how normalized violence was still widespread in society as part of “archaic” forms of “male domination”. He said: “We need to change rape culture to a culture of consent.” The prosecutor addressed Dogan: “For as much as you reject it, it’s not just a individual, it’s an whole unpleasant cultural framework that you are supporting.” Biographical Details The accused was originated from Turkey and at the age of five moved to France, where his parent worked as a caretaker. The evidence indicated that his father was violent and that the defendant began using drugs at the age of ten. When he was seventeen he was apprehended by police for selling narcotics and his father kicked him out of home. He spent time in prison for narcotics offenses in his twenties and had worked as a builder but had undergone periods of living on the streets. He was wed and had a child with a genetic condition, who he was the main caregiver for, as his spouse worked in a school canteen. The testimony revealed his spouse did not know he had frequent extramarital activities outside their union. His defence said this was his strategy for managing with his stressful life. Dogan had stated to a mental health expert that each year he engaged in paid sex on his birthday. His legal representatives informed the court he had a medical condition triggered by the stress of the original case.