A man accused of drugging his then-wife and inviting dozens of men to rape her over nearly a decade is testifying in court on Tuesday in southern France, in a case that has shocked the country.

Dominique Pelicot, now 71, faces 20 years in prison if convicted. While he previously confessed to investigators, the court testimony will be crucial for the panel of judges to decide on the fate of some 50 other men standing trial next to him, all accused of raping Gisele Pelicot.

Many also hope his testimony will shed some light — to try to understand the unthinkable.

Gisele Pelicot, who has become a symbol of the fight against sexual violence in France for agreeing to waive her anonymity in the case and let the trial be public, is expected to speak in court after her ex-husband’s evidence on Tuesday.

Bernadette Tessoniere, a 69-year-old retiree who lives a half-hour drive from Avignon, where the trial is taking place, arrived outside the courthouse at 7.15am to make sure she would secure a seat in the closely watched case.

“How is it possible that in 50 years of communal life, one can live next to someone who hides his life so well? This is scary,” she said while standing in a line outside the courthouse. “I don’t have much hope that what he did can be explained, but he is at least going to give some elements.”

Pelicot’s much-awaited testimony was delayed by days after he fell ill, suffering from a kidney stone and urinary infection, his lawyers said.

In 2020, a security agent caught Pelicot taking videos under women’s skirts in a supermarket, according to court documents. Police searched his house and electronic device and found thousands of photos and videos of men engaging in sexual acts with Gisele Pelicot while she appeared to lie unconscious on their bed.

With the recordings, police were able to track down a majority of the 72 suspects they were seeking.

She and her husband of 50 years had three children. When they retired, the couple left the Paris region to move into a house in Mazan, a small town in Provence.

When police officers called her in for questioning in late 2020, she initially told them her husband was “a great guy”, according to legal documents. After she was shown photos by police, she left her husband and they are now divorced.

Besides Pelicot, 50 other men, aged 26 to 74, are standing trial. Many deny having raped Gisele Pelicot, saying they were manipulated by her ex-husband or claiming they believed she was consenting.