AVIGNE, France, Sept 19 (Askume) – One of more than 50 men accused of raping Frenchwoman Giselle Pellicot in a gang rape that shocked the world appeared in court on Thursday to tell her he regretted his actions.
Lionel Rodriguez was one of the defendants who admitted to raping Pellicott. Pellicott was abused by dozens of strangers for nearly a decade while her husband, Dominic, drugged her without her knowledge, causing her to lose consciousness.
Dominic Pellicott, who recruited strangers online and invited them to a couple’s home to rape his wife, pleaded guilty in court on Monday , saying: ‘I am the rapist and there are other people in this room (just like the defendant).
“I’m sorry, I can only imagine the nightmare you’re going through … I know apologizing won’t change anything,” Rodriguez, a 44-year-old father of three, told Gisele Pellicot, 72, on Thursday. “I don’t know what happened, but I want you to know.”
The case has sparked protests across France in support of Gisèle Pellicot, who has called for the trial not to be held behind closed doors in order to highlight the abuse.
In a trial that epitomises the epidemic of sexual violence , the fact that dozens of ordinary men from all walks of life, aged between 26 and 74, may have raped an unconscious woman has captured worldwide attention.
Rodriguez admitted during the investigation that he raped Giselle Pellicott. In court on Thursday, he reiterated that he had no intention of raping Giselle but that he realized he had done it.
“If I had known he didn’t know (what was going to happen) I wouldn’t have gone there,” he said. “I should have checked his consent. I didn’t talk to him so I couldn’t get his consent. I feel guilty for what I did.”
He said: “I never said to myself: I am going to rape that woman.” But he said: “I am guilty of rape.” He further said that when he saw her unconscious, he should have left, and his silence was a sign of cowardice.
Rodriguez also tried to shift some of the blame to Dominique Pellicott, telling the court she did what her husband told her to.
