A ‘happily married father’ told today how he stripped naked and went into the Monster of Avignon’s marital home in the middle of the night ‘wearing nothing but a condom’ – to have sex with his unconscious wife.
Husamettin Dogan, 43, broke down in court as he tried to justify assaulting Gisele Pelicot who ‘appeared dead’ while her husband filmed the encounter in June 2019.
Dogan is one of 50 men accused of abusing Gisele Pelicot over ten years after she was drugged by her husband-of-50 years Dominique at their home in Provence in the south of France between 2011 and 2020.
Dogan told the court he believed he was taking part in a sex game.
He said he had met Pelicot in an internet chat room – coco.fr – used by swingers and that he said that his wife wanted a new sexual partner.
Husamettin Dogan, 43, broke down in court as he tried to justify assaulting Gisele Pelicot (pictured above as she arrived at court this morning) who ‘appeared dead’ while her husband filmed the encounter in June 2019
Dominique Pelicot, who has allegedly drugged and raped his wife Gisele Pelicot, appears during his trial with 50 co-accused at the courthouse in Avignon, France, September 17, 2024
Dogan is one of 50 men accused of abusing Gisele Pelicot over ten years after she was drugged by her husband-of-50 years Dominique (pictured) at their home in Provence in the south of France between 2011 and 2020
Dogan told the court: ‘I thought I was taking part in a sex game. Pelicot said that they had been married for a long time and his wife wanted a new sexual partner.
‘He said his wife pretends to be asleep during sex. It was their thing. Each couple is different in their sexual fantasies. He said I would go into the bedroom and I would take care of his wife.’
Dogan told the court he was having a drink with friends when Pelicot, who he had met on the internet two days earlier, called him and asked if he wanted to come over that night, in June 2019.
He explained how he drove some 60km to the village of Mazan and stripped naked on the terrace of the Pelicot’s chalet, before entering wearing nothing but a condom.
He said: ‘I am a happily married man. I have a child. I didn’t want to give my wife a disease. I had total trust in him. I left everything outside – my clothes, my wallet, my phone.
‘I went straight into the bedroom. The lady was lying down with her back to me. She had a bandana over her eyes.’
Dogan told the court he challenged Pelicot about his wife’s state of consciousness.
‘I told him, “this woman looks dead”. But Pelicot told me; ‘she’s not dead’. It was a sex scenario.’
The court heard that Dogan abused Madame Pelicot over more than three hours, while her husband filmed him, pausing only to drink a ‘baby whisky’.
He said he believed that Madame Pelicot had given her consent because she had invited him to her house and her husband had given permission.
Judge Roger Arata asked Dogan: ‘Did you think that Madame Pelicot was really asleep or pretending?’
Dogan replied: ‘He said she was pretending. It was a sex game. Each couple is different. They each have their own thing.’
He added: ‘I only started having doubts when she started snoring.’
Dominique Pélicot is accused of recruiting men online to assault his wife repeatedly over 10 years
Gisele Pelicot (C) acknowledges applause by members of the public as she arrives at the courthouse of Avignon during the trial
Dogan told the court that it was only after his arrest in two years later that he learned that Pelicot had drugged his wife.
But he justified his actions, claiming it was ‘unimaginable’ that a man would do something like that to his wife.
He added: ‘In custody I was humiliated by the police. I was put in a cell and treated like an animal in a cage.
‘I have been insulted in the street. People call me rapist in the street. I am disrespected.’
Courageous Gisele Pelicot was in court and listened attentively as Dogan gave evidence.
Retired electrician Dominique Pelicot has admitted drugging his wife and inviting dozens of men to rape her at their home in the south of France over a decade.
Last week Pelicot, 71, stood the stand in front of his ex-wife and three grown-up children to express his remorse for his terrifying campaign of abuse. And he condemned the other 50 men as rapists.
He told the court: ‘I am a rapist, like everyone else in this room.’
Today Pelicot accused Dogan of being ‘a lair’ claiming he knew he what he was doing as he joined the internet chat room entitled ‘without her knowledge’.
Under cross examination Dogan claimed he had been intimidated by Pelicot.
He said: ‘I am victim of Pelicot.’ Asked whether Madame Pelicot was a victim, he replied: ‘That’s something else, she was his wife. I was caught in a trap.’
The trial continues.
