Dominique Pelicot: Husband ‘let men rape drugged wife ... as she refused to try swinging’

A husband who allegedly drugged his wife and allowed dozens of men to rape her told a psychologist he carried out the sick crimes because she wouldn’t try swinging.

Psychologists testifying in one of France’s worst sexual abuse trials this week revealed chilling insights into the mind of the man at the centre of it all – Dominique Pelicot, 71.

The retired electrician is facing up to 20 years in prison along with 50 other defendants, all of whom are accused of the “aggravated rape” of his wife, Gisele.

It is claimed that between 2011 and 2020 he systematically drugged his wife unconscious and invited dozens of strangers to their home to rape her on camera.

Now, a group of psychologists and detectives who interviewed Pelicot after his arrest in September 2020 revealed that he complained the criminal charges against him had “ruined his life” and said he and his wife could’ve continued living happily.

At his trial in a court in Avignon in Provence, they described him as a “Jekyll and Hyde” who considered himself a “good husband” – even though he routinely directed men to violate his wife.

Psychologist Annabelle Montagne who interviewed Pelicot in December 2020, a month and a half after he was taken into custody, told the court yesterday: “Pelicot said, ‘My wife and I had a discussion about swinging but she didn’t agree so I drugged her’.”

Ms Montagne said Pelicot maintained he loved his wife, but she added: “He sees his partner as an object to satisfy his sexual and narcissistic needs.”

A psychological report for the court suggested Pelicot displayed a tendency towards “paraphilia” – arousal in atypical situations – and also “somnophilia” – an attraction to unconscious partners.

This made him a “very caring and much-loved grandfather by day” but “a rapist at night”, psychologist Bruno Daunizeau said in the report.

The “two-faced personality” meant he acted like the double-sided main character in The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, the Gothic novel by Robert Louis Stevenson.

“During the day, you can be normal, and have another face at night,” said Dr Daunizeau.

Marianne Douteau, another psychologist, told the court that Pelicot “complains that this criminal case against him has destroyed his life”.

Pelicot is said to have claimed: “Gisele would not have known anything.”

Dr Douteau added that Pelicot told police he considered himself a good husband to the woman he had three children with.

Dr Paul Bensussan said: “He will remain a voyeur and exhibitionist. Sexual orientation is given for life, whether that sexuality is deviant or not. The only cure is old age.”

On Friday, Pelicot’s daughter Caroline, 46, told the Vaucluse Criminal Court that he secretly photographed her in the nude.

This was at the family home in Mazan, some 20 miles from Avignon – to which Pelicot allegedly invited men to come and rape his wife.

Sons David and Florian are also due to give evidence. Pelicot will be cross-examined later in the week.

He was arrested in September 2020 for filming up women’s skirts. A search of his devices revealed the thousands of photos and videos of women, including family members.

Detectives have listed 92 rapes committed by 72 men, 51 of whom have been identified. Fourteen of the other defendants have also admitted rape. The rest deny wrongdoing.

The case continues. In a separate case, Pelicot has been charged with raping and murdering a 23-year-old estate agent in Paris in 1991.