Tried in France for raping his wife who was drugged with anxiolytics, Dominique Pelicot, like some of the 50 co-defendants in his extraordinary trial, spoke of sexual violence suffered during childhood. The impact of these traumas on their actions should, however, be taken with caution, according to experts.
During his personality test, the main accused, Dominique Pelicot, claimed that he had been raped at the age of 9, then forced to participate in a rape at the age of 14, which had influenced his “perversion”.
Questioned by the court a few days later, one of the co-accused, Jean-Pierre M., ended up giving, with difficulty, a chilling account of the rapes and abuse he endured as a child, another, Lionel R., also testifying to forced sexual acts.
During the investigation, at least ten co-defendants spoke of sexual violence suffered in their youth.
“There is no cause and effect relationship: not all children (victims) become victims or perpetrators, but this increases the possibility of becoming so,” psychiatrist Laurent Layet told the hearing about Jean-Pierre M.
From a sociological point of view, the theory of the reproduction of violence – the victim becomes the perpetrator – is “not proven” and gives rise to “debates and controversies”, Véronique Le Goaziou, associate researcher at the Mediterranean Sociology Laboratory and specialist in sexual violence, stressed to AFP.
“Some studies, most often on small cohorts, show a higher prevalence” among those accused “of violence suffered in childhood”, notes the author of Rape. What is justice doing?.
“But surveys of larger groups” do not “achieve such results,” she continues.
Defense strategy
“In the context of criminal proceedings,” “the difficulty” is to prove “the existence of this violence,” she notes, stressing that “attackers can use this argument as a means of defense.”
According to trauma psychologist Joanna Smith, “we see more childhood histories of sexual aggressors: sexual abuse – three times more than the general population – but also physical abuse – twice as much – or verbal abuse – 13 times more – or emotional neglect – four times more.”
“Often these antecedents accumulate, or even become associated with difficult developmental circumstances: violence between parents, parental psychiatric disorders, etc.”, continues this psychologist.
“The number of different backgrounds increases the risk factor for committing sexual violence,” she explains to AFP.
For psychiatrist Guillaume de La Chapelle, who treats victims of childhood sexual violence, the “main risk” for them is to suffer violence later, even as adults, “not to become an aggressor”.
“A victim of sexual assault can develop many psychological problems. Some, especially boys, become sexual criminals, but this remains an extremely rare trajectory and depends above all on the construction of the personality,” he notes.
Obligation of care
On the other hand, “among serious sexual criminals, we frequently find sexual violence suffered,” observes the psychiatrist practicing in Lyon.
“We become perverts, it’s a psychological construct. If the victim is not detected, taken care of, their experience remains in a corner of their brain and evolves independently. Because they have not spoken, have not been treated and supported,” he continues.
“This is not a mitigating circumstance, and it does not excuse the acts committed. However, it can be a defense strategy: the lawyer looks for arguments to mitigate responsibility,” notes lawyer Danielle Gobert, a family law specialist.
But for Dominique Pelicot’s lawyer, Béatrice Zavarro, her client is not shirking his position: “In no case is he saying ‘Please feel sorry for me, I suffered this, so inevitably you have to forgive me for what I did to my wife’.”
Joanna Smith does not rule out that the violence suffered could create a “certain empathy” for the accused, but believes that this past should “guide” towards an “obligation of care” rather than “influence the judgment”.
For experts, a major focus of preventing sexual violence is preventing child abuse and helping parents in difficulty.