Dominique Pelicot, the 71-year-old French man accused of drugging his wife so he and 50 other men could rape her, says he wasn’t born a pervert; he became one.
He was raped by a male nurse before he turned 10, he told the court, and then later, he was forced to take part in a gang rape.
Should that really matter? Or have explanations behind evil or excuses now become as common practice in court as the heartbreaking impact statements of victims?
Pelicot’s brave and elegant former wife Gisele has insisted on a public trial to expose a crime that has shocked the country, and to shine a light on sexual violence.
Despite her husband admitting he was a rapist, Gisele had to listen to the woe-is-me tale of the monster who treated her for 10 years in a way that is unimaginable to most of us.
Gisele Pelicot, with her lawyer Stephane Babonneau, exits the courtroom this week. Photo: AAP
He was in court late because of a kidney stone and a urinary infection, was on heavy medication, and even allowed to take regular breaks to........