Gisèle Pelicot calmly faced the unimaginable in court for the final time

Gisèle Pelicot attending court for the sentencing of the men accused of assaulting her. Credit: AP

For the final time, Gisèle Pelicot carried herself calmly into court to face the unimaginable: a room filled with dozens of men who raped her while she lay unconscious.

At the centre of it all - sitting in a glass dock - was her ex-husband Dominique Pelicot.

His verdict - the first to be read out - came as no surprise. He had already admitted his crimes but, under French law, the accused must face trial and their guilt must be determined by a panel of judges.

He was asked to stand up to receive his sentence of 20 years - which means he is likely to spend the rest of his life in jail - and when he sat down again he began to cry.

He was the first of 51 men to be convicted and sentenced during a hearing that, remarkably, lasted for only just over an hour.

His co-defendants were described in court as ‘Mr Everyman’ - a 55-year-old nurse, a 27-year-old soldier, a 74-year-old grandfather, a 56-year-old plumber with three kids.

Those that weren’t already in custody arrived, as usual, in hoods and face masks. But this time they had also been advised to bring overnight bags.

I saw several that had come with wives and girlfriends kissing and hugging them goodbye before walking into the hearing room.

All 50 received some form of guilty verdict - the majority for aggravated rape. But their sentences, which ranged from three to 15 years, frequently fell below what prosecutors had asked for.

A man holds a placard reading "Thank you for your courage Gisele Pelicot" outside the Avignon courthouse in France. Credit: AP

Gisèle Pelicot told reporters afterwards that she respected the decision of the court, but her children are understood to be unhappy with the length of those sentences.

Lawyers representing some of those men have said that their clients intend to appeal. They now have 10 days to decide.

After nearly four months of evidence, this trial has raised more questions than it has answers.

Gisèle Pelicot’s attackers were given their chance to explain why they did what they did, but in court they only provided excuses.

Some women I’ve spoken to in Avignon say the case has made them feel afraid: "If Mr Pelicot was able to recruit so many men from within one area of France, how many more could there be?"

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