The trial of Dominique Pelicot, the 71-year-old French man accused of drugging his wife and allowing strangers to rape her, has been delayed due to his deteriorating health. Pelicot was scheduled to testify this week, but his appearance in court has been postponed after he was admitted to the hospital.
"Mr Pelicot's state has become more serious. He will not be there tomorrow or Friday," said his lawyer, Beatrice Zavarro. Zavarro did not provide further details regarding Pelicot's current medical condition.
The chief judge overseeing the case had previously stated that he might pause the trial if Pelicot's health worsened. According to Zavarro, when she left the court for her client’s medical checks, Pelicot was “still in a lot of pain.” She mentioned that he could possibly be suffering from a bladder infection or colic, as reported by Reuters.
"Medical staff took samples for analysis yesterday and do not have the results. Mr. Pelicot is said to still be unwell. I will during the day request emergency care,” the judge said.
Pelicot has confessed to drugging his wife with sleeping pills from 2011 to 2020, during which time he allowed other men to sexually assault her and even film the assaults. A group of 50 men accused of raping Pelicot’s wife while she was heavily sedated are on trial as well. Pelicot’s wife had explained that she suffered from memory lapses for years until law enforcement uncovered the situation when her husband was found filming up the skirts of women at a local supermarket, according to CBS News.
The delay in the trial has raised questions about the continuation of the legal proceedings, as the court awaits further updates on Pelicot's health condition.
