AVIGNON, France – “I am a rapist.” Dominique PericoA 71-year-old French man accused of drugging his wife and then assaulting her with dozens of strangers has returned to court to give evidence after nearly a week of illness.
Judge Perico walked slowly with a cane into the courtroom in the southern city of Avignon and sat in a blue armchair, comfortable enough to take part in the hearing.
“I’m a rapist just like every other person in this room,” Perricott said, referring to the 50 other defendants in the group trial — men he allegedly recruited online to rape his then-wife. Gisele Perico.
“They all knew he was inviting them to rape her,” he said, adding: “She should not have had to go through this.”
Christophe Simon/AFP/Getty
Dominic Perico is accused of drugging Gisele with anti-anxiety drugs for nearly a decade, between 2011 and 2020. Perico raped her while she was unconscious and asked dozens of men he met online to do the same. Gisele says she was unaware her husband was regularly drugging her and had been seeing doctors for years about her unexplained memory loss.
Dominic Perico’s plan was thwarted by chance when police caught him taking photos of women’s clothing in a store and confiscated his digital devices. They found hundreds of photos of him abusing his wife, who he credits with saving her life.
The defendant had already admitted to the charges, but Tuesday was the first time he spoke at length since the trial began on Sept. 2.
Zig/Reuters
The court may also hear more details from Gisele Perico, who was in court with Dominic’s brother, Joel.
Defence lawyer Beatrice Zaballo told AFP on Monday that his client was suffering from a “blood clot in his bladder” and was showing early symptoms of a kidney infection.
However, a medical examination ordered by the judge determined that the defendant was fit to appear in court, avoiding weeks or even months of delays in the trial.
Zaballo said he would adjust the “order of trial” and give defendant Dominic Perico “periodic rest,” adding that the health complaints were not an attempt by the defendant to escape justice.
Dominic Perico’s testimony will be crucial for the 50 other men on trial alongside him, aged between 26 and 74. Trials for four of them are scheduled to begin in the coming days.
Christophe Simon/AFP/Getty
Some of the defendants acknowledged that the defendant told their then-wife that he was drugging her, but others claim they believed they were taking part in a swapping couples fantasy.
The case sparked outrage across France, with thousands of people demonstrating in cities over the weekend calling for an end to the rapes and support for Gisele Perico.
She called for the trial to be open to the public to raise awareness about the use of drugs to commit sexual abuse.
“Thanks to you all, I have the strength to continue this fight to the end,” Gisele told protesters on Monday.