Seventeen of the men found guilty of raping her Giselle Pelico appealed against the convictions and the case, which shocked both France and international opinion, will be brought to second trial.

At the Nimes Court of Appeal in France, at the end of 2025the new trial is expected to be held in the case of Giselle Peliko, victim of multiple rapes over a decade by her husband Dominic Pelico and dozens of other unknown men.

Dominique Pélicot, who was convicted of drugging and raping Giselle Pélicot’s ex-wife in a case that has shocked France, has made the decision, it has become known. not to appeal unlike 17 of his 51 co-defendants.

In particular after the verdict of the Avignon criminal court on December 19, 2024, 17 of the 51 accused for the rape of 72-year-old Giselle they appealed against the first instance decision but not her husband Dominic Pelico.

It is recalled that the court imposed on the rapists of Giselle Peliko prison terms from 3 to 18 years while Dominic Pelikos, the main defendant and organizer of the rape of his ex-wife, was imposed 20 years imprisonment – the maximum penalty provided by law in France for the crime of rape.

Dominique Pelico, 72, did not appeal the first-instance decision, according to a statement from his lawyer. Beatrice Zavaro because he didn’t want to trouble his ex-wife anymore.

Gisele Pelicot

Why Dominic Peliko did not appeal

According to information from bfmtv.com, the new trial for the serial rapes of the drugged Giselle Peliko for 10 years will be held in her appeals court Nimes (city near Avignon, in the south of France) in the last months of 2025. The 17 accused will be tried this time three regular judges and nine jurorswho will be selected by lottery. The criminal court of Avignon, which tried the high-profile case at first instance, was composed of five regular judges.

The main defendant, Dominic Pelico, decided not to appeal. His lawyer Beatrice Zavaro stated on December 30 that a second trial for Pelikos at the appeals court “it would put Giselle into new suffering and new confrontations” and her client refuses to subject his ex-wife to this test..

However, the ex-husband, rapist and organizer of Giselle’s rapes, will have to attend the appeals court, since it is certain that he will be called to testify as a witness by the defense lawyers of the 17 defendants and also by Giselle’s two lawyers. Stefan Babono and Antoine Camus. Beatrice Zavaro’s lawyer is not allowed to speak when her colleagues ask her client questions, but she said she will be by his side in the courtroom.

Giselle Pelico’s reaction

“The fact that Dominic Pelico won’t appeal doesn’t change anything for her.”said Giselle’s lawyer Stephane Baboneau and emphasized that the 72-year-old is not afraid to face in court those of the defendants who appealed against the first instance decision, although she would prefer that everything be over by December 19.

“Giselle Pelico is not afraid of a second trial” had been emphasized by her lawyer, Stefan Babono, after the end of the historic trial, which he described as “difficult test”. “If it happens, she’s already told us she’ll deal with it – if she’s healthy, obviously, since she’s a lady who’s now 72.”he stated.