72-year-old woman Gisèle Pelicot describes harrowing moment she told her children about husband’s 'horrific abuse'

Warning: This article contains discussion of rape which some readers may find distressing.

Taking to the stand in court today, a 72-year-old woman has opened up on the moment she was forced to tell her three children that their father, her husband, had been 'abusing her over 10 years'.

Gisèle Pélicot stood in court this week (CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP via Getty Images)

Gisèle Pelicot first appeared before a judge in Avignon, France, earlier this week (2 September), where her husband, 71-year-old Dominique, was placed on trial for a number of sickening crimes, including allegedly recruiting as many as 80 other men to rape her.

He is believed by authorities to have drugged Gisèle - who opted to waive her automatic anonymity - using a mixture of sleeping tablets and other medication.

It was then that he allegedly invited strangers he'd met on the internet to perform sexual acts upon her, including rape.

Dominique's alleged crimes went undetected for over a decade, until he was arrested in 2020 for allegedly filming up women's skirts in a supermarket.

After investigating his home, police discovered he'd recorded countless assaults on his wife, and had kept the tapes in a USB drive called 'abuses'.

Over 20,000 images of mother-of-three Gisèle being raped and abused since 2011 were found.

The mother-of-three recalled the moment she was forced to tell her children (CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP via Getty Images)

Appearing in court this week - alongside 50 other men accused of raping Gisèle - Dominique Pelicot admitted guilt, telling his lawyer: "I put her to sleep, I offered her, and I filmed."

Today (5 September), however, marked Gisèle's opportunity to take to the stand, where she bravely recalled the discovery of her husband's crimes.

She also reflected on the moment she was forced to tell her three children what their father had allegedly done to her as she slept.

"When I told my daughter, she screamed like a wild beast," Gisèle - who has been joined by kids in court this week - tragically explained.

"I will never forget this. When I told my sons about this, I don’t think they really understood, they were withdrawn and didn’t react much.

"I think they were in a state of shock. They said don’t say such silly things."

She continued: "The evening, the children rang all the time saying don’t disappear, they were worried I might die."

Dominique Pélicot admitted guilt for his crimes (CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP via Getty Images)

The court previously heard that Gisèle had no recollection of the abuse she'd endured at the hands of her husband.

Authorities in France have said she has been left devastated, with her lawyer Stéphane Babonneau telling press: "One morning she woke in a panic with a new haircut without understanding how this was possible. She went to her hairdresser, who told her she had been in the previous day."

Tragically, Gisèle believed she had an illness which was causing her to forget certain events, with her relatives suspecting Alzheimer’s disease.

The trial is expected to last until December.

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact the Rape Crisis England and Wales helpline on 0808 500 222, available 24/7. If you are currently in danger or need urgent medical attention, you should call 999.