Frenchman on trial for mass rape of sedated wife due back in court

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00:00It's a trial that has been suspended twice already, with the accused having not attended

00:06court since last week. Dominique Pellicot, who has not yet testified at the trial, was

00:11excused from attending proceedings due to a bladder stone and kidney problems, according

00:16to his lawyer.

00:17Don't let anyone tell me that Mr Pellicot is hiding or that he is faking his situation.

00:23This is not the case at all. A diagnosis has been made and it is not a figment of his imagination.

00:30The 71-year-old retired electrician from south-east France was accused of drugging his wife and

00:35inviting over 50 strangers, aged between 26 and 74, to rape her for over a decade.

00:42Pellicot, who has admitted to the allegations, has been on trial since the beginning of September.

00:47The strangers who raped the drugged Gisèle Pellicot could face up to 20 years in prison.

00:52Most of them have denied the rape charge.

00:56But his recent health issues and two trial suspensions had sparked concern among the

01:01victims' team about whether or not the trial would continue.

01:07We sincerely hope that this expert report will enable the trial to go ahead. Because

01:12if the report were to show that the trial cannot go ahead because of a delay in Dominique

01:16Pellicot's treatment, then it would be a real scandal.

01:22The proceedings, which were scheduled to last four months, could reopen as of Tuesday, after

01:27the defence lawyers informed that Dominique Pellicot would be returning to the trial.

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