Wife of Man Who Drugged and Invited Men to Rape Her Thought She Had Alzheimer's Disease Because of Blackouts

Mar. 15, 2025

Gisele Pelicot.Photo:CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP via GettyThe ex-wife of a French manwho admitted to drugging her and allowing dozens of men to rapeher over the course of a decade says she became “convinced” at one point that she had Alzheimer’s disease because of the substantial memory loss she was experiencing throughout the abuse.Gisèle Pélicot, 71, took to the stand on Thursday, Sept. 5, in the Vaucluse Criminal Court in Avignon to testify in the trial of her ex-husbandDominique Pélicot.The suspect, also 71, has admitted to inviting 83 men – including firefighters, masons, gardeners, prison guards, soldiers and journalists, now between the ages of 26 and 73 years old — to sexually assault Gisèle while she was unconscious, French paperLe Parisienpreviously reported.During her testimony, Gisèle recounted her confusion when she began to experience “total blackouts,” starting in 2011. The retired Mazan, France, native told the courtroom Thursday that around 2013 she began to feel worse: she started to lose her hair, lost weight and continued to have memory lapses at different parts of the day.The blackouts became so concerning that she decided to stop driving, she explained in court.“I didn’t understand why I had these moments like this,” Gisèle recalled in court, according toThe Telegraph.According toThe New York Times, she told the court: “I was persuaded I had the beginnings of Alzheimer’s or a brain tumor.”Her then-husband of almost 50 years, a retired electricity worker, drove her to her doctor’s appointments as she searched for answers.“I could not have imagined for a single second that I had been drugged,” Gisèle said.But in 2020, Gisèle was alerted to the truth when French police told her they had allegedly found thousands of pictures and videos on her husband Dominique’s computer that showed her unconscious. Police had raided her and Dominique’s home after he was accused of attempting to film up several women’s skirts at a local grocery store,The Timesreported.Gisele Pelicot.CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP via GettyAccording toThe Times, French laws allow for women to seek justice for such alleged crimes in private instead of a trial playing out in public. However, Gisèle reportedly told the courtroom Thursday that she wanted her ex-husband to stand trial in public.Gisèle has also kept her former husband Dominique’s last name, Pélicot, for the trial, with plans to change back to her maiden name after it’s finished,The Timesreported.Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.According toThe Times, she told the court she believed it was important for other women to hear her story.“So when other women, if they wake up with no memory, they might remember the testimony of Ms. Pelicot,” Gisèle said, according to the newspaper. “No woman should suffer from being drugged and victimized.”CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP via GettyDominique has pleaded guilty to the charges against him, according toThe Times.According toThe Telegraph, 14 of the other defendants have pleaded guilty and at least 35 have pleaded not guilty.The Timesreported that Gisèle – who says she no longer experiences blackouts – appeared defiant and calm while testifying in court, addressing the rapes.“We must address this scourge,” she said.If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go torainn.org.

Gisele Pelicot.Photo:CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP via Getty

CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP via Getty

The ex-wife of a French manwho admitted to drugging her and allowing dozens of men to rapeher over the course of a decade says she became “convinced” at one point that she had Alzheimer’s disease because of the substantial memory loss she was experiencing throughout the abuse.Gisèle Pélicot, 71, took to the stand on Thursday, Sept. 5, in the Vaucluse Criminal Court in Avignon to testify in the trial of her ex-husbandDominique Pélicot.The suspect, also 71, has admitted to inviting 83 men – including firefighters, masons, gardeners, prison guards, soldiers and journalists, now between the ages of 26 and 73 years old — to sexually assault Gisèle while she was unconscious, French paperLe Parisienpreviously reported.During her testimony, Gisèle recounted her confusion when she began to experience “total blackouts,” starting in 2011. The retired Mazan, France, native told the courtroom Thursday that around 2013 she began to feel worse: she started to lose her hair, lost weight and continued to have memory lapses at different parts of the day.The blackouts became so concerning that she decided to stop driving, she explained in court.“I didn’t understand why I had these moments like this,” Gisèle recalled in court, according toThe Telegraph.According toThe New York Times, she told the court: “I was persuaded I had the beginnings of Alzheimer’s or a brain tumor.”Her then-husband of almost 50 years, a retired electricity worker, drove her to her doctor’s appointments as she searched for answers.“I could not have imagined for a single second that I had been drugged,” Gisèle said.But in 2020, Gisèle was alerted to the truth when French police told her they had allegedly found thousands of pictures and videos on her husband Dominique’s computer that showed her unconscious. Police had raided her and Dominique’s home after he was accused of attempting to film up several women’s skirts at a local grocery store,The Timesreported.Gisele Pelicot.CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP via GettyAccording toThe Times, French laws allow for women to seek justice for such alleged crimes in private instead of a trial playing out in public. However, Gisèle reportedly told the courtroom Thursday that she wanted her ex-husband to stand trial in public.Gisèle has also kept her former husband Dominique’s last name, Pélicot, for the trial, with plans to change back to her maiden name after it’s finished,The Timesreported.Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.According toThe Times, she told the court she believed it was important for other women to hear her story.“So when other women, if they wake up with no memory, they might remember the testimony of Ms. Pelicot,” Gisèle said, according to the newspaper. “No woman should suffer from being drugged and victimized.”CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP via GettyDominique has pleaded guilty to the charges against him, according toThe Times.According toThe Telegraph, 14 of the other defendants have pleaded guilty and at least 35 have pleaded not guilty.The Timesreported that Gisèle – who says she no longer experiences blackouts – appeared defiant and calm while testifying in court, addressing the rapes.“We must address this scourge,” she said.If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go torainn.org.

The ex-wife of a French manwho admitted to drugging her and allowing dozens of men to rapeher over the course of a decade says she became “convinced” at one point that she had Alzheimer’s disease because of the substantial memory loss she was experiencing throughout the abuse.Gisèle Pélicot, 71, took to the stand on Thursday, Sept. 5, in the Vaucluse Criminal Court in Avignon to testify in the trial of her ex-husbandDominique Pélicot.

The suspect, also 71, has admitted to inviting 83 men – including firefighters, masons, gardeners, prison guards, soldiers and journalists, now between the ages of 26 and 73 years old — to sexually assault Gisèle while she was unconscious, French paperLe Parisienpreviously reported.

During her testimony, Gisèle recounted her confusion when she began to experience “total blackouts,” starting in 2011. The retired Mazan, France, native told the courtroom Thursday that around 2013 she began to feel worse: she started to lose her hair, lost weight and continued to have memory lapses at different parts of the day.

The blackouts became so concerning that she decided to stop driving, she explained in court.

“I didn’t understand why I had these moments like this,” Gisèle recalled in court, according toThe Telegraph.

According toThe New York Times, she told the court: “I was persuaded I had the beginnings of Alzheimer’s or a brain tumor.”

Her then-husband of almost 50 years, a retired electricity worker, drove her to her doctor’s appointments as she searched for answers.

“I could not have imagined for a single second that I had been drugged,” Gisèle said.

But in 2020, Gisèle was alerted to the truth when French police told her they had allegedly found thousands of pictures and videos on her husband Dominique’s computer that showed her unconscious. Police had raided her and Dominique’s home after he was accused of attempting to film up several women’s skirts at a local grocery store,The Timesreported.

Gisele Pelicot.CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP via Getty

According toThe Times, French laws allow for women to seek justice for such alleged crimes in private instead of a trial playing out in public. However, Gisèle reportedly told the courtroom Thursday that she wanted her ex-husband to stand trial in public.

Gisèle has also kept her former husband Dominique’s last name, Pélicot, for the trial, with plans to change back to her maiden name after it’s finished,The Timesreported.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

According toThe Times, she told the court she believed it was important for other women to hear her story.

“So when other women, if they wake up with no memory, they might remember the testimony of Ms. Pelicot,” Gisèle said, according to the newspaper. “No woman should suffer from being drugged and victimized.”

Dominique has pleaded guilty to the charges against him, according toThe Times.

According toThe Telegraph, 14 of the other defendants have pleaded guilty and at least 35 have pleaded not guilty.

The Timesreported that Gisèle – who says she no longer experiences blackouts – appeared defiant and calm while testifying in court, addressing the rapes.

“We must address this scourge,” she said.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go torainn.org.

source: people.com