Gisèle Pelicot, whose ex-husband Dominique was jailed for 20 years for recruiting strangers to rape her while she was drugged, is ready to face another trial after two defendants lodged appeals.
Dominique Pelicot is also said to be considering appealing against his jail sentence.
The 72-year-old was found guilty by a French court on Thursday of repeatedly drugging and raping his wife for almost a decade, and inviting dozens of strangers to rape her unconscious body in a case that has horrified the world.
All of Pelicot’s 50 co-defendants were also found guilty of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault, while their victim, Gisèle Pelicot, sat in the packed courtroom to hear the sentencing, having waived her right to anonymity.
The men were given 10 days from the sentencing to appeal.
Gisele Pelicot spoke at the end of the sentencing on Thursday (EPA)
On Friday, French media reported that the lawyer for Redouan El Farihi, 55, and Ahmed Tbarik, 54, had lodged appeals after they were each found guilty of rape and sentenced to eight years in prison.
Gisele, 72, become a symbol of female courage and resilience during the three-month trial and crowds of supporters outside the courthouse in the southern city of Avignon cheered as she appeared after the verdicts had been read out.
Stéphane Babonneau, one of Gisele’s lawyers, told France Inter radio: “In any case, she has no fear of it [another trial], that is what she told us.”
“She is very happy to be going home, she is very relieved,” he added.
All 50 of Dominique Pelicot co-defendants were found guilty (via REUTERS)
Mr Babonneau said his client did not want to be seen as an icon. “What she doesn’t want is for other victims to think ‘this lady has extraordinary strength, I couldn’t do that.’”
“She doesn’t want to be seen as someone extraordinary. And in reality, she is someone who remains very simple and who has decided to try to live her life in the most normal way.”
It comes after French president Emmanuel Macron joined the many people around the world who had paid tribute to Gisèle.
“Thank you Gisèle Pelicot,” Mr Macron wrote on social media. “Your dignity and your courage have moved and inspired France and the world.”
Dominique Pelicot, who was married to Gisèle for 50 years, had pleaded guilty to the charges and a panel of five judges sentenced him to the maximum 20 years in jail, as requested by prosecutors.
The court found 46 of the other defendants guilty of rape, two guilty of attempted rape and two guilty of sexual assault, handing down sentences of between three and 15 years in jail, less than the four-to-18 years demanded by the prosecution.
