More than a dozen men convicted of raping Giselle Bellico plan to appeal their sentences, but her ex-husband, the mastermind behind her abuse, will not be one of them, his lawyer has confirmed.
Speaking to France Info radio, lawyer Beatrice Zavaro said that Dominique Bellico wants to spare his ex-wife. The painful ordeal of another trialBut he also acknowledged that there was a possibility that a new trial before a public jury could result in a longer prison sentence.
Of the 50 accused of rape, only one was acquitted but found guilty of aggravated sexual assault. Another man was also convicted of the sexual assault charge for which he was tried, meaning all 51 defendants were guilty in one way or another.
Seventeen men Plan to appealAccording to what was reported by French media.
The court sentenced Dominique Bellico to 20 years in prison on charges of drugging Giselle Bellico, raping her and allowing other men to rape her while she was unconscious.
This courtroom sketch by Valentin Pasquier shows Giselle Bellicot, left, and her ex-husband Dominique Bellicot, right, during his trial, at the Court of Avignon, in Avignon, southern France, Tuesday, September 17, 2024.
Valentin Pasquier/Associated Press
During the trial, Dominique Bellicot admitted that over a period of almost a decade he had unwittingly drugged his wife through food and drink, and invited dozens of men to rape her while she was unable to consent. Giselle Bellicot testified that she had no recollection of the events and spent years wondering why she often felt so tired.
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The trial has swept France and raised a new awareness of sexual violence. Giselle Bellico waived her right to anonymity as a sexual assault survivor, successfully lobbied for hearings and shocking evidence — including videos her ex-husband filmed locally of the rapes — to be heard in open court, insisting However, the shame must fall on her attackers. Not her.
In turn, she was well received by the public and turned into an icon against sexual violence.
Demonstration in support of Gisele Bellico and all rape victims on September 14, 2024.
Alan Obaidin / Abaca Press
The ages of the convicts range from 26 to 74 years. Many of them deny rape by Giselle Bellico, saying that her then-husband manipulated them or that they thought she consented to it.
“We share the same battle,” she said in her first words after the court in the city of Avignon in southern France issued prison sentences. She added that she was thinking about her grandchildren during the harsh trial that lasted more than three months.
Giselle Bellicot speaks to the press as she leaves the courtroom at the Avignon courthouse in southern France, Thursday, December 19, 2024.
Louis Joly/Associated Press
“I led this fight for them too,” she said at the time.
—With files from The Associated Press
&Copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
