‘A rapist can be in the family’: How Dominique Pelicot became one of the worst sexual predators in history

Gisèle Pelicot had no idea her husband of 50 years had been drugging her and inviting dozens of men to rape her. As one of the most horrific trials France has ever seen comes to a close, the world is left asking: how could this happen?

Gisèle Pelicot speaks to the press as she leaves the courtroom, in the Avignon courthouse, southern France, Thursday, December 19, 2024. Picture: AP Photo/Lewis Joly

Warning: This article contains descriptions of alleged rape and sexual assault 

Dominique Pelicot called himself a family man. He liked cycling in the French countryside on a Sunday, he took his son and grandson to football matches, and he was good at celebrating birthdays.