They said there were 72 individuals suspected of abusing Gisele. 50 men were tracked down and are on trial alongside Mr Pelicot. In addition to Dominique Pelicot, there are another 50 men on trial. Most of the defendants are charged with aggravated rape.

Public prosecutor Laure Chabaud told the packed courthouse in Avignon, southern France, on Monday that the sentence would be “long” but “not enough considering the serious nature of these acts.”

Dominique Pelicot invited men to rape his wife, whom he had drugged. The French media call them “Mr. Every Man” because they come from such ordinary backgrounds.