Editor’s note, Dec. 19, 12:00 PM ET: Gisele Perico’s ex-husband Dominique Perico has been found guilty of aggravated rape by a French judge. Dominic previously confessed to drugging and raping his ex-wife and inviting strangers to his home to rape her. Fifty other people were also convicted of related crimes.
For more on this ruling and how it affects marital rape sentencing in France and the United States, read Vox’s Marin Kogan.
Horrifying sexual assault cases in France have added to the country’s reputation for abuse against women.
The case centered on 71-year-old Dominic Perico, who drugged and raped his wife, Gisele Perico, and while she was unconscious, recruited dozens of other men to sexually assault her. He is accused of adding. Dominic Perico, who confessed to repeatedly raping his wife over a 10-year period, is currently on trial along with 50 other defendants accused of sexual assault or attempted sexual assault. Some of these defendants have admitted guilt, while others have denied it.
Dominic Perico said in his testimony that he and everyone involved were guilty. “I, like everyone else in this room, claim that I am a rapist,” Dominic Perico said. “They all knew her condition before she came. They knew everything. They can’t say otherwise.”
Gisele Perico had the option of a closed trial, but decided to make it public to support other victims of similar crimes and raise awareness. “I speak for all the women who are addicted to drugs and don’t know it. I speak for all the women who will probably never know,” Gisele Perico said of her case. Police determined that 72 men were involved in raping her between 2011 and 2020, based on around 20,000 images of the assault taken by her husband.
The Perico incident has caused a stir in France, and comes as the country continues to grapple with accountability for sexual misconduct against women. As The New York Times reported this spring, the Me Too movement had previously stagnated in the French film industry, but it gained new momentum this year after prominent actor and director Judith Godreche spoke out. . French writers and actors have also previously pointed out that the country’s attitude toward sexual freedom differs from the United States in how it handles accusations of sexual misconduct.
“French attitudes towards morality and sex have historically always been different from the US,” journalist Agnès Poirier previously told the BBC. “But it’s been brewing for years, and 2024 feels different.”
Dominique Perico’s assault on his wife was first discovered by police in November 2020 after he was initially investigated for taking upskirt photos of women at a supermarket in southeastern France, where the couple lived. did.
After being caught taking the photos, police searched Pericot’s computer and found a folder titled “Abuses” on the associated USB drive. Thousands of photos and videos were discovered of Pericot and other men raping his unconscious wife. “My world has collapsed,” said Gisele Perico, who was notified by police of the discovery.
Officers’ findings tracked Gisele Perico’s years of memory loss, hair loss and weight loss, leading to suspicions she was developing Alzheimer’s disease or another serious illness. I was so worried that it wouldn’t happen. During that time, her husband regularly gave her multiple medications, including the anti-anxiety drug Temesta, which acts like a sedative.
While Gisele Perico was unconscious, Dominic Perico invited several men to his home and attempted to rape her. Gisele Perico stressed that she had no knowledge of these attacks and that she did not pretend to be unconscious, as some defendants suggested. Dominic Perico found the men through the message board “Unwittingly” on the now-closed website “Coco,” which is known for posts related to illegal activities.
Dominic Perico used the site to solicit men to assault their wives, giving them specific instructions such as not wearing perfume or smoking to avoid detection. Dominic Perrico said the men were actively involved in the crime. I answered, “Yes.” They accepted it and came along. I didn’t handcuff anyone to my house. ”
The identities of these defendants have not been released, but authorities note that they range in age from 26 to 74, many have partners, and come from a wide range of backgrounds, including firefighters, journalists, and military personnel. There is.
When police searched his computer, they also found naked photos of Dominic and Gisele Perico’s daughter, Caroline Darian. Dominic Perico claimed in his testimony that he believed the photos were not of him but of someone else.
Gisele, Dominic Perrico and Darian have all taken the stand in recent weeks and given harrowing accounts of the assault. “Frankly, these are scary scenes for me,” Gisele Perico said of the videos and photos her husband took to document the rape. “They treat me like a rag doll.”
Gisele Perico said that before she learned of the attack, she believed that she and her husband of about 50 years were on good terms. Dominic Perrico admitted to the abuse and told a psychologist that Gisele Perrico abused him because she refused to do swapping or sleep with others outside of marriage. He added during the trial that he believed sexual assault, which he said he experienced as a child, also contributed to his “perversion.”
Giselle Perico said her decision to reveal her identity and speak publicly about the incident was meant to show that survivors should not be ashamed of the abuse they suffered. Handling the case anonymously “is what her attackers would have wanted,” her lawyer said.
Darian also described the horror she felt upon learning of her father’s actions, calling him “the worst sex offender of the last 20 years.” Both men emphasized their fear of not being able to regain a sense of stability and security in their relationships. “I don’t have an identity anymore. … I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to rebuild myself,” Gisele Perico said.
The defendants are charged with aggravated rape or attempted rape, and many could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. The trial is scheduled to continue until December, with the defendants testifying collectively.
How does this incident affect the larger movement in France?
The Perico incident is just the latest case to raise awareness about sexual abuse in France this year, after multiple sexual misconduct cases by prominent actors and directors came to light.
Since February, several prominent French actresses, including Godreche, have spoken out about being sexually assaulted by film directors as teenagers. Notably, Godreche was invited to speak on the issue at the Cesar Awards, France’s equivalent of the Oscars, and was greeted with a standing ovation.
French journalist Rokaya Diallo said, “While the #MeToo movement in America has been gaining momentum for years and waning in France, this acceptance suggests that perhaps the larger culture here is finally ready to push back. “It shows that there is,” he wrote about Godreche in the Washington Post. ”
These changes come as France, like the United States, is increasingly reluctant to confront sexual abuse, with some French commentators calling the #MeToo movement the latest in puritanical American culture. It is called an extension of
But Mr. Godreche’s speech and the Perico affair, as well as multiple sexual misconduct allegations against famed French actor Gerard Depardieu, have brought new attention to the issue. Women’s rights groups are also calling on lawmakers to add the term “consent” to the legal definition of rape, with French President Emmanuel Macron saying he supports the move. Currently, French law defines rape as “an act of sexual penetration committed against a person by force, force, threat, or surprise.”
“Although there is still perhaps more skepticism in France about the legitimacy of sexual assault and harassment than there is in the United States, young women in particular, as well as French feminists and their male allies, have shown a willingness to confront these issues. “These attitudes are changing rapidly,” Laura Frader, a professor emeritus of history at Northeastern University who studies European gender attitudes, told Vox. “There is no doubt that the Pericot case will contribute to this trend.”
Updated September 17th at 5:15pm ET: This article, originally published on September 9th, has been updated with additional details from Dominic Perico’s testimony.
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