No one has yet mentioned a significant difference between French and British law - the pre-trial investigative magistrate rather than the wholly adversarial UK system (which may be followed by a very long and expensive public enquiry).
Having followed the processes of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission over several years, which employed a combination of Roman Law and traditional African Law ( confess absolutely and you will be not be punished further), I’m convinced the UK’s approach creates massive problems, it is also ridiculously slow and expensive.
It was surprising, at least to me, that despite the generosity of the TRC’s approach, there were some SA government operatives who were still unwilling to confess and were prepared to serve long prison sentences, rather than confront the enormity of what they had done.
Not heard of him before am afraid. I know/knew several french women who were controlled by their husbands and my old AS even told me how many women in the commune were being mistreated without giving any names or other info.
There’s a lot that goes on that one wouldn’t even suspect many of the perpetrators of.
In this particular case though I think the poster who said they’re surprised to see the open press coverage of a case still going on whereas in the UK this wouldn’t be allowed as sub judice, was right.
Given the nature of this crime also, I too wish press coverage was banned at least until the result is known. As the case reflects a nasty part of human nature and frankly the key person accused here won’t be the only one to have indulged in or at least fantasized about such crimes.
While it’s good that if they can combat his current tactics and get him to appear in court, at least some justice will surely be served at least in his case (though not ñecessarily all his co-perpetrators), unfortunately I think premature coverage in open press is going to feed potential perpetrators of similar crimes earlier than coverage of a completed judgment would have.
I don’t believe the Pélicot accused is psychopathic. That would be grounds for an insanity defence. It is sad to admit these are just ordinary men with perverse ideas where desires were matched by opportunity.
For a couple of days I’ve avoided reading The Guardian’s brief biographies of the many defendants in the Pellicot trial because I didn’t want to get any closer to the story. However, my wife had asked me to read them and so eventually I did.
It’s grim, depressing and squalid stuff, but I’m glad I managed to get through it. Without making any excuses for the defendants or their life histories, I recalled being a middle class Sixties teenager reading Selby’s phenomenally depressing Last Exit to Brooklyn whose characters seemed doomed from the moment they were born.
Have you never heard of the Me Too movement?
We may mot have been abused ourselves, but we care about what affects our sisterhood and it has no boundaries.
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Re The Defendants 50 out of 70 = 50 divorces? How many offspring changing their names? The knock on effect will be a tsunami. I could never face the world the way the ex Mrs Pelicot has. What a heroine.