Dominique Pelicot — accused of drugging and having his wife raped by dozens of men recruited on the Internet — is “hospitalized,” his lawyer told a criminal court in the south of France on Tuesday.
“He is in hospital today,” said Beatrice Zavarro during this seventh day of hearing during which her client was to be heard for the first time.
Faced with this announcement, the president of the court ordered a forensic examination of the accused and repeated that he could request a suspension of the trial, “until his health improves.”
“It would make no sense to continue without his presence, because a criminal trial is not held without the presence of an accused,” the lawyer added.
On Monday morning, Dominique Pelicot, 71, appeared very weak as he entered his box, aided by his cane and also leaning against the window. His lawyer had indicated that he was suffering from intestinal pain.
The president of the court had then agreed, with the agreement of the civil parties, that he be exempted from the hearing and examined. To the regret of the family of the main victim, Gisèle Pelicot, who would have liked her ex-husband to attend the analyses of the experts, psychologists and psychiatrists, who described a man “with two faces”, both in his personality and in his sexual attractions.
For ten years, from July 2011 to October 2020, Dominique Pelicot is accused of having raped and had raped his now ex-wife, by dozens of men he recruited on the internet. 50 men aged 26 to 74 are being tried alongside him in Avignon, 17 of whom are being detained, like Mr. Pelicot.