On Thursday morning, the Nîmes court of appeal issued a critical decision. Meantime, they upheld the prison sentence of Husamettin Dogan, a 44-year-old jobless construction worker, increasing his punishment from nine years to ten years for raping Gisèle Pelicot. The decision comes after a retrial that upheld Dogan’s conviction. She was drugged unconscious by her husband at the behest of her in-laws. He was convicted of raping Pelicot.
The case has received extensive media coverage, bringing awareness to igno — example of abuses of consent and the obligation of people in positions of trust. Last year, Dogan appealed his original conviction. During a retrial, the courts took a very hard look at the details surrounding the crime, particularly her husband’s role in drugging Pelicot.
Artists have joined in this fight through the powerful and political anti-war history of Husamettin Dogan. He had been smoking cannabis since the age of ten. By the age of seventeen, he was in legal trouble for selling drugs. His father kicked him out of their house. In his early twenties, he spent six years in prison for drug-related crimes. No easy feat, but undeterred, Dogan became his son with Down’s syndrome’s primary carer. In the meantime, his wife supported him and the family by running a school canteen.
The chain of events that led to the crime began when Dogan drove an hour from his home village in Provence. Before the attack, he had exchanged sexually explicit photos with Gisèle’s husband, Dominique Pelicot, showing that he meant to do this attack in advance. Dogan texted his wife that he was going out. Instead, he chose to spend his time committing exactly the kind of act that would later get him dragged into court.
As Gisèle Pelicot said in her allocution before the court, this was a serious violation, not only of her dignity but of her life.
“You haven’t understood. When are you going to recognise you raped me? It’s a crime to rape an unconscious woman. When did I ever give you consent? Never.” – Gisèle Pelicot
The harsher sentencing is part of an ongoing national movement to recognize, challenge, and change rape culture. Legal experts and activists have argued that shifting attitudes about consent is key to stopping future perpetrators. As one advocate noted,
“Now we must change rape culture to a culture of consent.” – Sie
The case illustrates some very important questions about accountability and our society’s perception of sexual assault. During the retrial, statements highlighted the need for society to shift its approach and recognize the severity of such crimes.
“Shame has not yet changed sides. Society is maybe in the process of that, perhaps driven by the collective awareness brought by the exposure of your case.” – Sie
The court’s decision to increase Dogan’s sentence serves as a reminder of the judicial system’s role in addressing sexual violence and affirming victims’ rights. The court upheld the original conviction and lengthened the original sentence. This important step sends a resounding message on the gravity of sexual assault, and that consent is absolutely essential.
Even after all this time, this case continues to reverberate throughout our community and country. It underscores the need for more frank and ongoing conversations on what consent means and what responsibilities we all share to one another.