Associate of Frenchman accused of mass rape of wife admits to similar abuse

AVIGNON, France — An associate of Frenchman Dominique Pelicot, who for a nearly a decade drugged his wife and invited dozens of men to rape her, admitted to copycat abuse of his own partner on Wednesday, blaming his mentor and a troubled childhood.

Police have said Jean-Pierre Marechal, 63, worked with Pelicot to drug and both rape Marechal's wife Cilia after meeting on a now-shuttered website.

The trial of Pelicot and 50 other men accused of raping his wife has shocked the world. It has also triggered protests across France in support of Gisele Pelicot, who has become a symbol of the fight against sexual violence.

In court on Tuesday, Pelicot admitted orchestrating the mass rape of his now-ex-wife. He asked for forgiveness, and said he ultimately hoped to win back his former partner, who filed for divorce after learning of the rapes from investigators.

Wednesday began with more disturbing testimony, as Marechal described how he and his sisters suffered sexual abuse at the hands of his father.

He said it was Pelicot who unlocked his inner demon.

"I regret my actions. I love my wife," Marechal said in the courtroom. "If I had not met Mr. Pelicot, I would have never committed this act. He was reassuring, like a cousin."

Marechal is not, however, accused of raping Gisele Pelicot, who is expected to testify herself later on Wednesday.

Web meeting

Prosecutors allege Marechal met Pelicot on a website called Coco, where Pelicot shared with him images of the rapes of his wife by the men he had recruited, describing how he had drugged her.

Marechal said in the courtroom he stumbled across the website by accident and initially refused Pelicot's request to rape his wife before acquiescing. Prosecutors say Pelicot drugged Marechal's wife and raped her while Marechal watched.

Pelicot acknowledged his guilt in raping Marechal's wife and said he regretted his actions, adding that he cut contact with them after she woke up while he was in her room. Prosecutors say Pelicot was recorded in at least three of 12 assaults against Marechal's wife Cilia.

The 54-year-old has five children with Marechal and has stuck by him, not filing a criminal complaint.

By contrast, Gisele Pelicot, 72, insisted on a public trial in an attempt to expose her former husband and the 50 men he is accused of recruiting to rape her. — Reuters