Critics claim that France's culture of sexual assault is exposed during the mass rape trial.

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In France, a mass-rape trial has brought to light the prevalence of a "rape culture" that has been pervasive in the country.

"During a court appearance on Tuesday, Dominique Pélicot, 71, stated that he is a rapist, just like the other men present, and that they were all aware of their actions."

Gisèle Pélicot, 72, claimed that her husband drugged her and allowed dozens of men to sexually abuse her for nearly a decade between 2011 and 2020 while the couple resided in the small town of Mazan. Dominique Pélicot confessed to the crime and also filmed the assaults.

His decision to reveal his identity during the trial is unprecedented and has caught many off guard, but he remains steadfast in his belief that he must take responsibility for his actions.

He stated in court that being a pervert is not innate; it is acquired, asserting that he was sexually assaulted by a male nurse at age nine in a hospital and later forced to take part in a gang rape at 14.

He acknowledged that his wife did not deserve the traumas and shocks he experienced from his youth, which were partly forgotten due to her. If convicted, Dominique Pélicot faces 20 years in prison.

Dominique Pélicot's media has led to the arrest of around 50 men who now stand trial, despite their denials of the allegations against them.

Due to the shocking nature of his crime, Dominique Pélicot's testimony received significant media attention. Although he was unable to stand, he spoke for an hour while seated in a wheelchair due to health complications resulting from a kidney stone and urinary infection.

According to French law, court proceedings cannot be recorded through filming or photography. Dominique Pélicot, along with other defendants, enters and exits the court through a special entrance that is only accessible to authorized personnel, as they remain in custody during the trial.

The other defendants assert that they were coerced by the husband or that they thought she had given her consent to the act.

Dominique Pélicot was first caught by law enforcement for taking photos of women's crotches at a supermarket. An investigation later revealed a collection of thousands of images and videos depicting assaults on his wife.

Gisèle Pélicot, after learning of the attacks, called the revelation "unbearable" and the couple, who had been married for 50 years and had three children together, separated.

""These are scenes of barbarity and rape for me," Gisèle Pélicot testified."

The BBC reports that French authorities have identified approximately 72 men as participants in a decade-long rape scheme. These men, whose ages range from 26 to 68, come from diverse backgrounds, including firefighters, journalists, and pharmacists.

The trial of Gisèle Pélicot is a "symbol of the worst that male violence can do," according to the Fondation des Femmes, who described the crimes against her as "barbaric" and her decision to publicly testify as brave.

Gisèle Pélicot stated during her testimony, "I am not testifying for myself, but for all the women who endure chemical subjugation."

Céline Piques of the group Osez le Féminisme has contended that this case contradicts the narrative of "the rapist who is a psychopath" who "raped due to their certainty of their impurity."

Dominique Pélicot's website, which received over 500,000 visitors monthly last year, was pointed out by Piques as a platform where men were invited to his home. However, Piques noted that none of these visitors ever contacted him to stop the abuse.

No one considered informing the police about these criminal details, Piques stated.

This report was contributed to by Jasmine Baehr of Planet Chronicle Digital and The Associated Press.