French man on trial accused of raping partner after contact with Dominique Pelicot

A bodyguard from Lyon is to go on trial for allegedly sedating and raping his partner after he was in contact online with Dominique Pelicot, who was convicted of drugging and raping his own wife, Gisèle Pelicot.Pelicot, one of the worst sex offenders in modern French history, is serving 20 years in prison after he was found guilty of drugging his then wife and inviting dozens of men to rape her in their home in the south of France over almost a decade. He and 50 other men were found guilty after the biggest rape trial in French history in 2024.The 73-year-old, who made contact with men in an online chatroom called “Against her knowledge”, crushed sleeping tablets and anti-anxiety medication into his then wife’s food and drink to render her unconscious.Gisèle Pelicot won support worldwide after insisting that the rape trial be held in public to raise awareness of the use of drugs and sedation to rape women, saying: “It’s not for us to have shame, it’s for them”.The man going on trial on Thursday worked as an international bodyguard for high-profile clients at film festivals and on trips around the world, including the US and the Gulf states.Investigators found communications between him and Pelicot as part of their initial investigations into Pelicot in 2020.The man, who was arrested in 2023, is accused of sedating his longterm partner, raping her and filming her. His lawyer, Gabriel Versini-Bullara, said he denied the charges. The investigation had established that the bodyguard had contact with Pelicot but this did not mean he had been a “disciple” of Pelicot, Versini-Bullara said. The court will seek to determine how close the contact was and whether the man had sought Pelicot’s advice on how to sedate and abuse his wife.The investigating magistrates’ summary of the case, seen by France-presse" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="1517" data-entity-type="organization">Agence France-Presse, alleges the bodyguard had sought to benefit from Pelicot’s “experience” in drugging and raping his wife. The fact that the woman was deeply sedated “ruled out all form of consent”, they wrote.The man’s partner told investigators she had experienced “great fatigue” over a period of three years without understanding why. She also spoke of heart issues, dizziness and several blackouts.The bodyguard admitted separate charges of the possession and distribution of child abuse imagery.The case will run until Friday.