“A wild” and “expeditious” indictment: these are the words that the defense lawyers in the Mazan rape trial protested against the prosecution’s pleadings. Among the 51 defendants appearing in this case, several saw their lawyers contest the severity of the sentences requested by the attorneys general, who wish to send a “message of hope” to victims of sexual violence.
“Six minutes at Dominique Pelicot, nine minutes of requisition and 13 years claimed. These requisitions are wild. I am convinced that you are not a grinder into which all this social misery is injected,” argued Florian R.’s lawyer, Guilaine Michel.
Lack of criminal intent
Florian R., a 32-year-old delivery driver, risks thirteen years of criminal imprisonment. His lawyer, Me Guilaine Michel, called for his acquittal, insisting on the absence of criminal intent on the part of his client, despite recognition of the “materiality” of the facts.
During the night of December 12 to 13, 2019, Florian R. was allegedly contacted via a dating site and invited to participate in what he thought was a “threesome”. Arriving there, he discovered Gisèle Pelicot, unconscious under a duvet. “He tries to see if she reacts, but understands that she is not playing when he hears snoring,” pleaded Me Michel. According to her, he then stopped all actions and left the scene in a few seconds. “Did he know she was sedated? No,” insists the lawyer. The lawyer for Nicolas F., a 42-year-old independent journalist, also criticized the brevity of the indictment concerning him. In seven minutes, the prosecution demanded 14 years of imprisonment for digital penetration of Gisèle Pelicot. “Why reincarcerate him? » asked Me Emilie Blas, recalling that her client does not deny the facts but refutes criminal intent.
Find our file on the Mazan rape case
Mathieu D., 53, also admitted the facts without admitting criminal intent. His lawyer, Me Alix Gros-Le Maut, deplored the speed with which a ten-year sentence was requested: “Less than ten minutes for a ten-year sentence. I’ll let you enjoy it. » She pleads for the release of her client.
The trial is scheduled to last until December 13 and the verdict is expected on December 20.