Items about rape on the news often dismay but rarely surprise me. History proves that mankind can plumb the depths of human depravity without blinking an eye. Still, the current case of the French rapists sets a new standard for depravity.

The press has picked up on this story and they focus, as expected, on the husband, Dominique Pelicot.  We don’t have to think twice to realize this man is a monster. Even he admits that he did it and that it was wrong.

Gisele Pelicot answers reporters’ questions (AP Photo)

M. Pelicot’s Pleasure

In a nutshell, Dominique Pelicot admits that he fed his wife sleeping pills. He allegedly contacted men via a sex-chat website. The monster invited them to his suburban home in Mazan, a town northeast of Avignon. for the purpose of raping his unconscious wife. Over 70 of them agreed.

French woman describes horror at learning she was drugged and raped for years

At least 72 men raped Gisèle Pelicot while she was unconscious and they did it at least 92 times while her husband watched. The police have identified 51 of these men. You see, M. Pelicot photographed the rapes as he watched because that’s what gave him sexual gratification. In fact, the police used M. Pelicot’s carefully filed and categorized photographs and videos to make the identifications. So, the courts have evidence and the French government is currently trying both her husband and all his “guests” for rape.

France Confronts Horror of Rape and Drugging Case as 51 Men Go on Trial

Woman in France Testifies Against Husband Accused
of Bringing Men to Rape Her

The Men He Recruited for Rape

The media have reported on French laws, the outrage of French women, the sensational trial, and M. Pelicot’s actions — all worthy of discussion.

I focus instead on the 51 men (identified so far) he recruited to rape his wife over the course of 10 years. They ranged in age from 26 to 74. Many were married or in “stable relationships” and they practiced a variety of middle-class trades and professions.

Strict Rules and Warm Hands

Dominique Pelicot had several strict rules for the men he invited to violate his wife:

1. The rapists had to park away from the Pelicot house.
2. Men had to wait an hour to 90 minutes for the drugs M. Pelicot gave his wife to take effect.
3. They had to have warm hands. Not for her comfort, of course, but he feared that cold hands would wake her up during the act. So men undressed in the kitchen and warmed their hands while they waited.
4. They could not smell of perfume or tobacco because M. Pelicot also feared that strong scents would wake up his wife and spoil his pleasure.
5. The rapists could not wear a condom, thus exposing his wife to sexually transmitted diseases. One man who was HIV positive raped her six times. When the crimes had come to light, Ms. Pelicot was diagnosed with four STDs. Fortunately, she tested negative for HIV. And she had gone beyond childbearing age, so pregnancy was not an issue.

What they did:

• • Go on a website where they sought sexual encounters.
  • Follow the husband’s rules.
  • Rape an unconscious woman, either once or several times

What they did not:

• • Feel any guilt
  • Worry about contracting an STD themselves or transmitting an STD to their wives or partners
  • Consider their action criminal

They thought that:

• • It was part of a consensual sex game.
  • A husband could give consent on behalf of his wife.
  • The woman they were about to rape preferred to be unconscious.
  • Having sex with an unconscious woman was just fine and even enjoyable.
  • It’s not adultery to cheat on your wife or betrayal to cheat on your partner if the victim is not conscious or the husband says it’s okay.
  • The rules they needed to follow did not alert them that any part of the deal was wrong.

What? What! How could any adult man think that this setup was okay? Or that participating in it was acceptable and excusable behavior?

How Do Men Think?

Now, I long ago recognized that I don’t understand how men think. Also, I know that many men make decisions with their “little brain,” the one that says sexual gratification justifies pretty much anything. Even so, you have to have a strong sense of willful disbelief to go respond to M. Pelicot’s invitation, follow his explicit rules, and feel no guilt and no shame.

Now the rapists, who thought having sex with an unconscious woman seemed like a good idea, face ignominy and up to 20 years in prison. We might safely assume that any relationships they have with women, whether formalized or not, have either been broken off or will go away. Those women woke up to discover that the men they loved were sexual predators.

We only know about this horrific crime because Ms. Pelicot bravely waived anonymity and insisted on a public trial. She wanted the shame to be placed on the men, not on her, stating that the “shame and fear must change sides.” Gisèle Pelicot also told the court she pushed for this in solidarity with other women who go unrecognized as victims of sexual crimes.

Not only that, but she had to fight to keep the press from calling the photos and videos “sex scenes.”  She insisted reporters call them “rape scenes.” And she testified in court, confronting all of them with the depravity of their actions. Ms. Pelicot deserves a Profile in Courage Award.

Rape, Roofies and Sheep

I would like to think this is not an American thing but Bill Cosby and the term “getting roofied” prove otherwise. We know that some men, regardless of country, are happy to take advantage of a woman regardless of her participation, her awareness, or even her consciousness. They might as well be raping a slab of meat. Somehow, this excites them.

It reminds me of the old phrase about a country where men are men and sheep are nervous. But then, as I said, I don’t understand how men think.

NOTE: Ms. Pelicot has divorced the monster and rejected his name. She now uses her maiden name.