PARIS — A court on Thursday convicted 51 men in a rape case that horrified France and the world — and fueled a French debate on changing the legal definition of rape.
The rape of Gisèle Pelicot, a 71-year-old retiree, happened more than 200 times and was orchestrated by her ex-husband Dominique Pelicot — who admitted to drugging her for years so he could recruit men online to have sex with her while she was unconscious, as he filmed the encounters in Mazan, southern France.
A criminal court in Avignon sentenced the ex-husband to 20 years of prison for aggravated rape, French media reported Thursday morning.
The court then began to sentence dozens of the men for their roles in the crime.
Victor Goury-Laffont contributed to this report
