A French woman who was allegedly raped by more than 50 strangers in multiple incidents over the course of a decade ... while she was allegedly drugged by her husband, who is accused of participating in the rapes and filming them ... testified for the first time Thursday.
72-year-old Gisèle Pélicot took the stand in Avignon Thursday for the first time ... saying she was left in "heaps of ruins" after finding out her spouse of 50 years, Dominique Pélicot, allegedly filmed more than 70 men assaulting her over a 10-year span ... without her knowledge.
Gisèle said she's seen all the recordings.
“When you see this woman, drugged, mistreated, dead on a bed -- of course the body is not cold, it is warm, but I am like dead,” she said, according to the Washington Post.
Gisèle says she did choose for the trial to be held publicly .... so that she could "remain standing" for her grandchildren.
She told the court the couple is now divorced.
Outside court Thursday, Gisèle said ... "The defense lawyers are trying to trap me but I will do my best."
As we told you ... Gisèle says she had no idea she was assaulted.
71-year-old Dominique's alleged actions were exposed after prosecutors say a security guard caught him taking up-skirt photos of women in a supermarket in 2020.
Investigators searched his phone and computer, discovering videos of numerous men appearing to rape Gisèle in their home while it looked like she was unconscious.
It was revealed during the police investigation Gisèle had been infected with more than one sexually transmitted disease.
In court this week, the judge said a nude photo of the couple's adult daughter, Caroline Darian, was also found on Dominique's phone.
Dominique, along with 50 other men, are facing rape charges and could be sentenced to decades behind bars.
Pelicot is accused of filming 20,000 clips of his wife being raped.
The trial, which began on Monday, is expected to run through December.