• Prosecutors demand 20-year sentence for husband Dominique.
• They also seek four to 18-year terms for other defendants.
• Verdicts to be announced by court in southern France today.

AVIGNON: A French court on Thursday found Dominique Pelicot guilty for repeatedly drugging and raping his wife Gisele Pelicot for almost a decade, and inviting dozens of strangers to rape her unconscious body in their home.

A panel of judges also convicted a first batch of 20 out of 50 co-defendants in the case, dismissing claims by some of them that they thought they were taking part in a consensual activity or that Dominique’s consent meant his wife also agreed.

Prosecutors have demanded a term of 20-year prison term for Dominique in a case that has appalled the world and turned his wife, Gisele, into a symbol of courage and resilience.

The presiding judge told the court that sentencing would be announced after all the verdicts had been delivered.

Prosecutors are also seeking terms of between four and 18 years for the other defendants, almost all of whom are accused of raping the comatose Gisele.

A cheer went up outside the court in the southern French city of Avignon among the victim’s supporters when news of the first guilty verdicts filtered out.

Dominique, 72, pleaded guilty to the charges during the three-month trial and apologised to his family. He also said that all the strangers he invited into his house knew that his now ex-wife was unaware of what was happening to her.

Meanwhile, Gisele, who is also 72, waived her right to anonymity during the trial and demanded that horrifying videos of the serial abuse, which were recorded by her former husband, should be seen in court, saying she hoped this would help other women speak up.

Gisele stared down her abusers with steely determination in the packed courtroom day after day, scoffing at any claim that she might have been a willing participant.

“I’ve decided not to be ashamed, I’ve done nothing wrong,” she testified in October, adding: “They are the ones who must be ashamed”.