A French appeals court has increased Husamettin Dogan’s jail term from nine to ten years for his role in the Gisèle Pelicot rape case.
Dogan, a 44-year-old construction worker, was among 51 men found guilty of drugging and raping Pelicot. The shocking case drew global outrage and fueled conversations about sexual violence in France.
Three judges and several citizens made up the appeals panel that issued the new ruling on Thursday in Nîmes. Prosecutors had asked for a 12-year sentence.
“No one in 2025 should think silence equals consent. That belief belongs to another era,” the prosecutor told the court, as reported by Le Monde.
Dogan claimed he never intended to rape Pelicot, saying her then-husband, Dominique Pelicot, deceived him.
Dominique confessed to lacing his wife’s food and drinks with drugs. He invited men he met online to assault her and recorded the attacks between 2011 and 2020.
The court sentenced him to 20 years — the maximum allowed by law. He accepted the verdict and did not appeal.
Other offenders received sentences ranging from three to fifteen years. One man drugged and raped his own wife with Dominique’s help.
Gisèle Pelicot became a public symbol of courage after she fought to keep the trial open. Her stand inspired many activists against sexual and gender-based violence.
The disturbing evidence, including videos filmed in the couple’s home in Mazan, reignited France’s debate on consent and rape culture.
A civil court in Avignon will meet in November to decide compensation for Pelicot and her family. The convicted men will share the payment.
