French rapist Dominique Pelicot seeks publisher for controversial prison writings
Convicted rapist Dominique Pelicot — accused of repeatedly raping and enlisting dozens of strangers to rape his heavily sedated wife in her own bed over a decade — wants to publish a book.
Image: Benoit PEYRUCQ / AFP
Frenchman Dominique Pelicot, convicted of organising the rape of his then-wife Gisele Pelicot by dozens of strangers, is seeking a publisher for writings he penned behind bars, his lawyer said Friday.
Dominique Pelicot, 73, was jailed for 20 years after admitting 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.
He now wants to share his version of events, said his lawyer, Beatrice Zavarro.
"He has written novels, many poems and his biography — his life story," she said.
"He wants to be read... to tell his side of the story".
Gisele Pelicot Gisele Pelicot at the courthouse in Avignon in December 2024, where her ex-husband, with 50 others, was accused of drugging her and orchestrating multiple rapes over nearly a decade.
Image: Clement MAHOUDEAU / AFP
But for now, "there is a lot of reluctance" among publishers, Zavarro added.
A court in southern France convicted Pelicot along with 50 other men in the mass sexual abuse case, handing co-defendants sentences ranging from three to 15 years behind bars.
Gisele Pelicot, a 72-year-old who has become a feminist icon for her outspoken stance during her ex-husband's trial, is to release her memoirs next year.
"A Hymn to Life" will be published in 20 languages in January 2026.
Their daughter Caroline Darian, who has accused her father of sexual abuse, in 2022 wrote a book about the family's ordeal, "Et j'ai cesse de t'appeler papa" ("And I stopped calling you dad").
AFP