Defense attorney in French rape trial: Leak of identity documents threatens families

Lawyers for the men accused in a mass rape trial in southern France said on Monday they would file charges because Internet users had shared their clients' personal information, thereby endangering their families.

Dominique Pelicot, a 71-year-old pensioner, is on trial in a court in the southern city of Avignon. He is accused of repeatedly raping his wife over a decade and of hiring dozens of strangers to do so without her knowledge.

Another 50 men between the ages of 26 and 74 are on trial for alleged participation.

The trial, which began last week and will last until December, is public at the request of Dominique Pelicot's ex-wife and victim.

With this request, 71-year-old Gisele Pelicot wanted to raise awareness about drug use in sexual abuse.

The defendants' lawyers stated that they would file charges because people had shared their clients' personal data on the Internet and thereby threatened them and their families.

“Personal information about the defendants – their identity, surname, first name, occupation and sometimes even pictures taken in the courtroom – were shared on social media, which is a violation of the basic rules of our law,” said lawyer Isabelle Crepin-Dehaene, who represents all of their lawyers.

“The accused's children were excluded at school. Wives and family members were insulted. The accused received malicious phone calls and attempts were made to break into their homes,” she added.

“Starting this week, their various lawyers will file about 15 complaints with the relevant regional prosecutors' offices and several more will follow in the coming weeks,” she said.

Most of the alleged rapes occurred between July 2011 and October 2020, mainly in the Pelicots' house in Mazan, a village of 6,000 inhabitants in southern Provence.

18 of the 51 defendants are in custody, including Dominique Pelicot. 32 other defendants are participating in the trial as free men.

The last defendant who is still at large will be tried in absentia.

Most of them face up to 20 years in prison for aggravated rape.

A lawyer for the Pelicot family on Friday called for “extreme restraint on social media” during the trial, calling it “a tragedy for all families affected.”

Several psychological and psychiatric experts are scheduled to take the witness stand to speak about Dominique Pelicot on Monday, when the trial enters its second week.

Pelicot's sons David and Florian, his son-in-law Pierre P. and his brother Joel Pelicot, a retired doctor, were also expected to testify as witnesses.

Dominique Pelicot is scheduled to speak on Tuesday afternoon.

dac/ah/tgb/gil