French appeal court increases sentence of man convicted of raping Gisele Pelicot
Husamettin Dogan, one of the 51 people convicted in the rape trial of French woman Gisele Pelicot, who was the victim of a mass rape orchestrated by her then-husband Dominique Pelicot at their home in the southern French town of Mazan, wearing a mask and sunglasses, sits in the courtroom to attend a hearing in his appeal trial at the courthouse in Nimes, France, October 8, 2025 (Photo: REUTERS/Manon Cruz)
NÎMES: A French court on Thursday (Sep 9) rejected the appeal of a former construction worker found guilty last year of the aggravated rape of Gisele Pelicot, and increased his prison sentence by a year to 10 years, France Info reported.
Husamettin Dogan, 44, was the only one to have maintained his appeal after the first trial last year of 51 men, including Pelicot's husband Dominique Pelicot, in the case of mass sexual abuse.
The former husband of 72-year-old Pelicot has admitted to drugging her with sedatives and inviting dozens of strangers to rape and abuse her over nearly a decade in a case that shocked the world.
Gisele Pelicot took the decision to waive her anonymity and allow the public into the courtroom during the months-long trial to raise awareness about sexual violence.
She famously said that it was time for the perpetrators - and not the victims - to be ashamed.
"The court and jury sentence Husamettin Dogan to 10 years in prison", along with "mandatory treatment for five years", presiding judge Christian Pasta said.
Standing in the dock, Dogan did not react to the verdict.
Gisele Pelicot left the court silent but smiling, under a hail of applause, with members of the public shouting "bravo" and "thank you".
Dogan said he never intended to rape her and was "trapped" by her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot in 2019 into thinking he would be taking part in a couple's sexual game.
But Gisele Pelicot told the court in the southern city of Nimes on Wednesday that Dogan had raped her and had to "take responsibility" for his actions.
"ENTIRE SORDID SOCIAL SYSTEM"
Public prosecutor Dominique Sie had earlier on Thursday requested 12 years in jail for Dogan.
"As long as you refuse to admit it, it's not just a woman, it's an entire sordid social system that you are endorsing," Sie told him.
"There needs to be an evolution for you, and for society, from rape culture to a culture of consent."
One investigator told the court on Tuesday that images of the abuse found on Dominique Pelicot's hard drive showed Dogan had stayed at the Pelicot house for at least "three hours and 24 minutes".
Footage shown to the court featured him penetrating an inert Gisele Pelicot.
At the original trial, a panel of five judges issued the verdicts against Dominique Pelicot and his 50 co-defendants last year in the southern city of Avignon.
This time in Nimes, it was a people's jury of five men and four women who decided.
The other 49 men accused of abusing Gisele Pelicot received sentences ranging from three years in jail, including two suspended, to 15 years behind bars for a man who visited the Pelicot home six times.
Another man, who did not assault Gisele Pelicot but repeatedly abused his own wife with Dominique Pelicot's help, was sentenced to 12 years.
Gisele Pelicot, on Wednesday, called for "victims to never be ashamed of what was forced upon them".
