Rape case that shook France returns to court for lone appellant's trial

Less than a year after a landmark verdict in a drugging and rape trial that shook France, an appeals court is set to hear the case of a man challenging his conviction.

Husamettin Dogan, 44, was in December sentenced to nine years in prison for the rape of Gisele Pelicot. Dogan continues to deny he intended to rape Ms Pelicot and is arguing that he was deceived by her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, who drugged his wife and offered her to strangers online before filming the assaults.

The construction worker goes on trial on Monday in Nimes, southern France, on charges of aggravated rape by administering substances that impair judgment or self-control. In the original proceedings, Ms Pelicot's ex-husband and 50 other men were convicted of sexually assaulting her between 2011 and 2020 while she was under chemical submission.

Pelicot was sentenced to 20 years in prison, while sentences for other defendants ranged from three to 15 years' imprisonment. The trial drew international attention and turned Ms Pelicot into a global icon after she opposed a closed hearing, a demand made by several defendants.

The court sided with her. The evidence included horrific homemade videos of the abuse that Pelicot filmed in the couple's home in the small Provence town of Mazan and elsewhere.

On the trial's opening day, she stated: "I have nothing to be ashamed of. Shame must change sides." Read more:Married to a monster: From victim to feminist heroSon relives moment he discovered father was a monster After the verdict, she declared she had "never regretted that decision" and thanked supporters who gave her the "strength" to return to court each day.

Ms Pelicot has since become a symbol of the fight against sexual violence, with the case spurring a national reckoning over rape culture in France. Pelicot admitted his role and did not appeal his 20-year prison sentence, now final.

He is expected to testify during the appeals hearing after being implicated by the remaining defendant. Of the 51 convicted men, 17 initially filed appeals.

Most of those were withdrawn and only Dogan pursued his appeal. While last year's trial stretched over four months, the retrial is scheduled to last no more than four days, with a verdict expected on Thursday.

Civil proceedings in Avignon are due in November to settle damages owed to the main victim and her family, to be paid jointly by the convicted men..