'I wanted society to see what was happening'

Gisèle Pelicot said that contempt a "very hard ordeal" she had "never regretted" opening the doors of a proceedings that saw her ex-husband jailed for drugging her and recruiting strangers to rape her.

Outside a courthouse successful Avignon, France, connected Thursday, Ms Pelicot said she waived her close to anonymity "so nine could spot what was happening".

The 72-year-old's ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, was earlier sentenced to 20 years successful situation for aggravated rape.

Dominique Pelicot stood accused alongside 50 different men, 46 of whom were recovered blameworthy of rape, 2 of attempted rape, and 2 of intersexual assault.

In a little quality extracurricular of tribunal connected Thursday, Ms Pelicot made a abbreviated connection successful which she said she respected the tribunal and the determination it had made.

"I wanted to unfastened the doors of this proceedings past September truthful that nine could spot what was happening - I person ne'er regretted this decision," she said.

"I person assurance present successful our capableness collectively to find a amended aboriginal successful which men and women alike tin unrecorded harmoniously unneurotic with respect and communal understanding."

She thanked her household and her lawyers, and said she was present reasoning of the "unrecognised victims whose stories often stay successful the shadows".

She said: "In this moment, my archetypal thoughts are with my 3 children David, Caroline and Florian. I americium besides reasoning astir my grandchildren due to the fact that they are the aboriginal and it is besides for them that I fought this battle."

For astir a decade, Ms Pelicot was unknowingly fixed sedatives by her ex-husband, who admitted to raping her and inviting men helium had recruited online to person enactment with her successful her furniture astatine location portion she was unconscious and unaware.

Although Dominique Pelicot admitted the charges against him, galore of the different men connected proceedings denied what they did was rape.

Most of the 50 came from towns and villages successful a 50km (30 mile) radius of the Pelicots' ain colony of Mazan.

Among them were firefighters, lorry drivers, soldiers, information guards, a writer and a DJ.

Ms Pelicot has attended astir each time of the trial, appearing astatine the tribunal successful her sunglasses conscionable earlier 9 o'clock.

Her determination to waive her anonymity is highly unusual, but she has stood steadfast astatine each moment.

"I privation each women who person been raped to say: Madame Pelicot did it, I tin too," she said earlier successful the trial.

But she has been wide that down her facade of spot "lies a tract of ruins" and contempt the wide acclaim for what she has done, she is simply a reluctant hero.

"She keeps repeating, 'I americium normal,' she does not privation to beryllium considered arsenic an icon," her lawyer Stéphane Babonneau said.

"Women mostly person a spot successful them that they can't adjacent ideate and that they person to spot themselves. That's her message."