Man Accused of 'Barbarism' by Wife Doesn't Testify as Planned

The French man accused of arranging to have his wife raped by strangers over a decade and drugging her to facilitate the crime was taken to the hospital on the day he was to testify. Dominique Pelicot's lawyer said the 71-year-old "is not trying to shirk his responsibility, he will not shirk his responsibility," but had started to experience symptoms that could indicate a bladder infection or colic on Friday, reports Reuters.

The New York Times reports he was absent from court Monday due to his symptoms, which included abdominal pain and discomfort while urinating. Though Pelicot was due to testify Tuesday afternoon, a judge ordered he be medically evaluated; the judge later said Pelicot would return to court Wednesday, and that his testimony would be sandwiched into the proceedings. Pelicot's lawyer says he had asked to testify and hoped doing so would give him the chance to explain himself to his wife and children, who have not spoken to him since his 2020 arrest. (Gisele Pelicot said what happened to her is "barbarism.")