Detectives are reopening cold cases to investigate the ‘Monster of Avignon’. Dominique Pelicot, who was convicted of aggravated rape in 2024, will be the central focus of the renewed inquiry by a cold case unit to uncover potential additional crimes dating back several decades. The Nanterre prosecutors’ office, near Paris, announced the initiative to identify other potential victims related to Pelicot’s criminal activities.
The trial of Pelicot garnered global attention as it was revealed that he drugged his wife, Gisele, and orchestrated her sexual assault by numerous individuals while she was unconscious. Gisele Pelicot, who revealed her identity to raise awareness of the case, has emerged as a prominent advocate for female survivors of sexual abuse in France, emphasizing unity in their struggle.
The series of crimes against Gisele occurred between 2011 and 2020 at their residence in Mazan, involving 72 perpetrators, some of whom were acquaintances. Out of the 51 men prosecuted, nearly all were found guilty of various sexual offenses against Gisele.
Additionally, Dominique Pelicot is under investigation for two other felonies – the rape and murder of Sophie Narme, a real estate agent in Paris in 1991, and an attempted rape in Villeparisis in 1999. Official inquiries into these incidents have been ongoing since October 2022, indicating substantial evidence against Pelicot.
Despite acknowledging involvement in the latter case following the discovery of his DNA at the scene, Pelicot denies any connection to the 1991 rape and murder. Investigators have recognized significant similarities in the modus operandi of both assaults.
Florence Rault, the legal representative of Narme’s family and the victim of the 1999 attempted rape, highlighted commonalities between the two cases, suggesting a potential link between the crimes. Pelicot’s lawyer, Beatrice Zavarro, asserted that Pelicot denies any acquaintance with Sophie Narme and clarified his actions in the 1999 incident as different from attempted rape.
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