In December, a court sentenced Dominique Pelicot to 20 years in prison for drugging his wife, Gisèle, and facilitating the sexual assault of her by multiple men between 2011 and 2020. This high-profile case has made Pelicot one of France's most notorious sexual predators, while his wife has emerged as a feminist symbol.
Authorities suspect that Gisèle Pelicot is not the only victim of her ex-husband. One of her lawyers, Antoine Camus, expressed concerns that she may represent only "the tip of the iceberg."
While awaiting trial, Pelicot was confronted by police with DNA evidence linking him to the 1999 attempted rape of a 19-year-old woman in the Paris region. After extensive questioning, Pelicot confessed, stating, "It is me."
Additionally, he is under investigation for the rape and murder of 23-year-old Sophie Narme in 1991. Though he denies involvement in her murder, prosecutors indicted him in 2022 based on similarities in both crimes, which have been combined into a single case due to shared characteristics.
Both victims were young real estate agents in the Paris area who experienced violent assaults. In both instances, victims were bound, drugged with ether, and found in disrobed states with their shoes meticulously placed nearby, suggesting a calculated method by the perpetrator.
Sophie Narme was killed on December 4, 1991, shortly after starting her first job in real estate. Her body was discovered by her employer in a Paris apartment she had shown earlier that day. The police suspect that Pelicot, using a pseudonym, was her client at the time of her murder. Evidence from the crime scene included ether and signs of severe assault.
In 1999, a similar incident occurred involving a 19-year-old real estate agent who was attacked during a property viewing. Authorities believe Pelicot was again the assailant, as he used similar tactics, including ether to incapacitate her. Fortunately, the victim survived the ordeal, managing to escape after moments of resistance.
Despite initial progress in these cases, investigations faced challenges, including lost DNA evidence. The case regarding Narme’s murder has been pursued actively for over three decades by her mother's lawyer, Florence Rault.
Pelicot's past criminal behavior also includes convictions for voyeurism. He was arrested in 2010 for filming women without consent and faced similar charges again in 2020. His DNA was finally linked to the 1999 attempted rape during the investigation of these subsequent offenses.
Pelicot has confessed to various details regarding the 1999 assault, clarifying that his intent was not to commit rape but to see his victim undressed. However, his lawyer insists that this statement does not equate to a formal admission of guilt regarding the crimes he is accused of.
Authorities are also exploring connections to two other potential cases from 1995 and 2004. However, Pelicot has not yet been questioned about these investigations. He continues to deny involvement in Narme's murder, maintaining that he is not a killer.