A French woman testified at trial, alleging that her husband invited more than 50 men to assault her and shared "scenes of barbarity."

On Thursday, Gisèle Pélicot, a 72-year-old French woman, testified in court about the alleged abuses she faced at the hands of her ex-husband and more than 50 others. Pélicot claimed that she was drugged and raped after her ex-husband Dominique Pélicot invited the men to participate in her abuse online. Pélicot also stated that her ex-husband filmed the alleged acts, which police used to ultimately arrest him and dozens more on charges of aggravated rape after two years of investigation.

In 2020, Dominique Pélicot, a man in his 70s, was arrested in France for allegedly recruiting at least 72 other men to assault his wife, Gisèle, between 2011 and 2020. Of the suspects, police were able to track down 50 of the men before trial. The arrest of the Telegram boss was described as an "existential threat to free speech" by a tech entrepreneur. Gisèle and Dominique were married for 50 years and share three children together.

Gisèle testified that she was drugged and unaware of the rapes that took place in her home for nearly a decade. Her attorneys argued that she was heavily drugged from crushed-up pills. Gisèle waived her legal right to a closed trial in the hopes that her public testimony may spare survivors of similar sexual crimes.

French authorities are searching for the arsonist who targeted a synagogue and injured a police officer. A toxicologist testified on Thursday that she was given a "cocktail" of medications that can cause unconsciousness, including Temesta, Zolpidem, hypnotic, and anxiolytic drugs. Gisèle admitted that there are memory holes during the years when the alleged abuses occurred. Dominique Pélicot shared with police that he had certain house rules for the alleged rapists, including wearing no scent, thorough hand-washing, and removing their clothing before entering their bedroom.

During the decade-long abuses, Gisèle Pélicot contracted at least four sexually transmitted infections, according to a medical expert. The alleged rapists were forced by Dominique Pelicot to not wear condoms, including one who was HIV-positive. HIV transmission is not a criminal offense in France except in certain circumstances. Gisèle Pélicot testified, "I was sacrificed on the altar of vice. They regarded me like a rag doll, like a garbage bag." Several of the defendants, aged 22 to 70, claimed they were manipulated by Dominique Pelicot to engage in the abuse. Some of them had to wait up to 90 minutes nearby for Gisèle Pélicot to fall unconscious.

Gisèle testified that the men who entered her home respected the imposed protocol and did not rape her with a gun to the head. However, they raped her in all conscience. She questioned why they did not go to the police station, stating that even an anonymous phone call could have saved her life. The trial, which began Monday, is scheduled to continue for the next four months. If found guilty, each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison. Gisèle asserted that they will have to fight until the end. The Associated Press contributed to this report.