Dominique Pelicot found guilty of all charges in rape, drugging trial ...

WARNING: This story contains details of sexual abuse

A French court has sentenced Dominique Pelicot to 20 years in prison for repeatedly drugging and raping his then-wife for almost a decade, and inviting dozens of strangers to rape her unconscious body in their home.

The case has appalled the world and turned the victim, Gisèle Pelicot, into a symbol of courage and resilience.

The court in Avignon also found the other 50 defendants guilty of various charges.

In all, the court found 47 of the defendants guilty of rape, two guilty of attempted rape and two guilty of sexual assault.

Sentences ranged between three and 15 years behind bars.

Prosecutors sought terms of between four and 18 years for the 50 defendants, almost all of whom were accused of raping the comatose Ms Pelicot.

A cheer went up outside the court among the victims' supporters when news of the first guilty verdicts filtered out.

Those found guilty have 10 days to appeal their sentences.

Gisèle Pelicot greeted supporters as she arrived at the court in Avignon. (Reuters: Alexandre Dimou)

Supporters outside the court held signs which read "Christmas in prison, Easter in prison" and "All the women on earth support you, thank you Gisèle".   (Reuters: Alexandre Dimou)

Dominique Pelicot, 72, pleaded guilty to the charges earlier during the three-month trial and apologised to his family.

Many of his fellow defendants, whom he had met online, denied being guilty of rape, saying they thought they were taking part in a consensual sex game orchestrated by the couple and arguing that it wasn't rape if the husband approved.

Dominique Pelicot denied misleading the men, who came from all walks of life, saying they knew that his now ex-wife was unconscious and unaware of what they were doing to her.

Ms Pelicot, 72, waived her right to anonymity during the trial and demanded that horrifying videos of the serial abuse, which were recorded by her former husband, should be seen in court, saying she hoped this would help other women speak up.

A courtroom sketch of Dominique Pelicot (right) during his trial in September. (ZZIIGG via Reuters)

The trial has triggered protest rallies around France in support of Ms Pelicot, and spurred soul searching including a debate on whether to update France's rape law, which at present makes no mention that sex should involve consent.

Ms Pelicot stared down her abusers with steely determination in the packed courtroom day after day, scoffing at any claim that she might have been a willing participant.

"I've decided not to be ashamed, I've done nothing wrong," she testified in October.

"They are the ones who must be ashamed," she said.

The Pelicots' children, David, Caroline and Florian, arrived in court to hear the verdict alongside their mother.

Each of the siblings have spoken out against their father, rejecting his pleas for forgiveness.

The defendants in the case came from all walks of life — lorry drivers, soldiers, firefighters, security guards, farm workers, a supermarket worker, a journalist and the unemployed.

A courtroom sketch shows some of the defendants in court on Monday. (ZZIIGG via Reuters)

The youngest suspect was just 22 when he entered the Pelicots' bedroom, while the oldest was in his early 70s. Many had children and were in relationships.

Most lived within a 50km radius of the Pelicots' picturesque village of Mazan, which nestles in vineyards below Mont Ventoux.

The case only came to light in 2020, when Dominique Pelicot was caught trying to take photographs up the skirts of women in a supermarket.

Police then discovered more than 20,000 photos and videos on his computer drives revealing the horrifying secrets that he had hidden from his now ex-wife for a decade.

Police believe 72 men had gone to the house to rape and abuse Gisèle, but they were not able to identify them all.

Dominique Pelicot acknowledged that he had put powerful tranquillisers into his wife's food and coffee that put her to sleep for hours. Gisèle said she was worried she was developing Alzheimer's or had a brain tumour because of the memory gaps.

She says she hopes the enormous interest in her case will help other women who have suffered sexual abuse, and brushes off praise for her own bravery in letting the world see her pain.

"It's not courage. It's determination to change things," she told the court in October. "This is not just my battle, but that of all rape victims."

Reuters/ABC