DOMINIQUE Pelicot – the “Beast of Avignon” – has denied drugging and murdering an estate agent in a crime he is linked to by DNA.
But Dominique – France’s most notorious rapist – did admit to being at the scene where another woman claims he tried to rape her.
Dominique Pélicot, 72, drugged and raped his wife Gisèle for years
AFPA sketch of Dominique in court[/caption]
AFPDominique’s wife, Gisèle Pelicot, was drugged and raped by her husband and many other men for years[/caption]
Dominique, 72, faced a four-hour grilling by magistrates on Thursday about two notorious cold cases after his DNA data linked him to the two scenes.
One was the murder of Sophie Narme, a 23-year-old estate agent, who died in Paris in 1991.
About Sophie’s murder, the sick serial rapist declared: “I have nothing to do with this affair.”
The other was the attempted rape of another estate agent called Marion, who was attacked when she was just 18 in the same area in 1999.
Marion claims she was showing him round a flat when tried to knock her out with chemicals and rape her.
Beatrice Zavarro, Dominique’s lawyer, said: “With regard to Marion, he effectively denies any attempted rape, explaining that he was there, and that there was a scuffle.
“If a scuffle took place, he had no intention of raping this young woman.”
Beatrice added: “He answered all the questions – cooperating like he always does.”
There are lots of similarities between the two cases, which Dominique’s lawyer acknowledged.
In both cases, the victims were young real estate agents who were visited by a man under a false name to view a flat.
Chemicals were used to sedate the two women before they were attacked – which is how Dominique managed the serial rape of his wife for years.
The two women were also undressed in the same way, and a strong smell of ether – an anaesthetic – was noticed at the crime scenes.
Both attacks happened close to where Pelicot was living with his wife and three children at the time.
His DNA was put on a national database following his arrest over the crimes involving his wife, which led to him being linked with both these unsolved crimes.
Dominique Pelicot has denied drugging and murdering an estate agent
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