[ad_1]
- Father-of-two Andy Rodriguez is certainly one of 50 males mentioned to have raped Gisele Pelicot
A person accused of raping the Monster of Avignon’s spouse has informed a courtroom he solely went there as he had ‘nothing else to do on New Yr’s Eve’.
Father-of-two Andy Rodriguez, 37, is certainly one of 50 males mentioned to have raped Dominque Pelicot’s spouse Gisele, after he gave her tranquilisers to sedate her.
Pelicot carried out a decade-long nightmare on Mrs Pelicot, who has waived her proper to anonymity and develop into an emblem to French ladies, in a case that has shocked the nation.
Farm employee Rodriguez informed the courtroom in Avignon that he was an ‘alcoholic since 14 and an everyday consumer of cocaine’ and admits having intercourse with Mrs Pelicot however denies rape.
He, like lots of the different defendants, are claiming they’d no thought she was drugged and assumed it was all a part of a ‘consenting situation’ between Pelicot and his spouse, each 71.
Gisele Pelicot arrives on the Palais de Justice in Avignon, France this morning
Dominique Pelicot, who has allegedly drugged and raped his spouse Gisele Pelicot, seems throughout his trial with 50 co-accused on the courthouse in Avignon, France, September 17, 2024
The 71-year-old arrives together with her lawyer on the trial of her former husband and 50 different males accused of raping her
In his testimony Rodriguez described how he’d had a swinging expertise earlier than he met Pelicot on New Yr’s Eve 2018 at his home in Mazan close to Avignon.
Rodriguez mentioned:’ I used to be in a bar as soon as when a person approached me and mentioned ‘My spouse likes you, would you prefer to sleep together with her whereas I watch ?’
‘I agreed and it occurred that very same night time, with Pelicot I met him New Yr’s Eve as I had nothing else to do.
‘I had fallen out with my brothers due to my ingesting and drug behavior so I went to Pelicot’s home.
‘I by no means had any intention of raping Mrs Pelicot.’
The courtroom heard that on the time Rodriguez was 31 years outdated and married with two kids whereas Mrs Pelicot was 66 – greater than twice his age.
Rodriguez went on: ‘I might had a shower, I might put aftershave on, I might bought prepared. An hour after exchanging messages on Coco.fr (swinging web site) I used to be at his home.’
As he gave his proof Mrs Pelicot listened intently, often shaking her head, together with her son David subsequent to her.
In a separate case, Pelicot has been charged with raping and murdering a 23-year-old property agent in Paris in 1991
Dominique Pelicot has been dubbed ‘the Monster of Avignon’ after he admitted drugging his spouse and permitting strangers to rape her of their martial mattress
Throughout the courtroom, in a glass field sat Pelicot, wearing a pale gray fleece, who rested his cheek on his finger as he adopted proceedings.
At one level David left the courtroom and Pelicot regarded in direction of his son however he ignored him.
In the meantime the courtroom has sparked controversy by emailing media protecting the case and asking them to recollect the ‘judicial authority should be capable of perform its missions. free from all stress, in full independence. ‘
It added:’The trial have to be held in a peaceful local weather conducive to the manifestation of reality and respect for the rights of the events.’
Dominique Pélicot is accused of recruiting males on-line to assault his spouse repeatedly over 10 years
However a consultant for the native courtroom reporters affiliation replied: ‘Might you inform us what “pressures” you’re referring to ?
‘And if these pressures are because of the behaviour of the journalists current or the work they produce? Which I dare not think about.’
Final week Nadia El Boiroumi a lawyer representing two of the accused was on the centre of controversy after she posted a video of herself dancing to the Wham hit ‘Wake Me Up Earlier than You Go Go’.
She denied any hyperlink between Pelicot’s modus operandi of drugging his spouse and as a substitute insisted she was aiming it at critics saying they must ‘stand up early’ in the event that they needed to outsmart her.
