MAZAN, France (AP) — The mayor of a French town making headlines for the trial of dozens of men accused of rapes that occurred there over almost a decade has apologized for comments that appeared to downplay the case.
“I have been criticized for minimizing the seriousness of the heinous crimes of which the defendants are accused,” Louis Bonnet, the mayor of Mazan in southern France, said in a statement Thursday. "I understand that these remarks are shocking and I sincerely apologize.”
Dominique Pelicot, 71, told the court this week in the nearby city of Avignon that for nearly 10 years he drugged his wife and invited dozens of men to rape her as she lay defenseless.
In an interview with the BBC, Bonnet said the case could have been far more serious.
“There were no children involved, no women were killed, the family will have a hard time but they can rebuild. After all, nobody died,” he told the broadcaster.
Gisèle Pelicot, who was married to her husband for 50 years and had three children with him, has become a hero to many rape victims and a symbol of the fight against sexual violence in France for waiving her anonymity in the case, letting the trial be public and appearing openly in front of the media.
Her ex-husband and the 50 other men on trial, who range in age from 26 to 74, face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
“This terrible story has deeply wounded our community," the mayor said in the statement. "But I am fully aware that this wound is in no way comparable to the suffering of Gisèle Pelicot and her family.”
This courtroom sketch by Valentin Pasquier shows Gisèle Pelicot, left, and her ex-husband Dominique Pelicot, right, during his trial, at the Avignon court house, in Avignon, southern France, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Valentin Pasquier)
FILE - Gisele Pelicot speaks to media as she leaves the Avignon court house, southern France, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly, File)
DALLAS (AP) — Igor Shesterkin stopped 41 shots, including 23 on seven successful penalty kills, and the struggling New York Rangers beat the Dallas Stars 3-1 on Friday night to end a three-game losing streak.
The Rangers also scored on their penalty kill, Reilly Smith’s short-handed goal tying the score midway through the first period. Vincent Trocheck scored the tiebreaking goal and Chris Kreider added an empty-netter late in the third period.
Roope Hintz scored for the Stars, who completed a season-high six-game homestand at 3-3-0. Jake Oettinger stopped 27 shots making his eighth consecutive start.
New York won for the fourth time in 18 games after allowing the first goal.
Eight of Shesterkin’s saves came during a five-minute elbowing penalty against Matt Rempe midway through the third period.
Hintz has four goals in the last six games and a team-high 16 this season.
Each team had a goal disallowed during the first 1:15 for offside.
Rangers: Artemi Panarin, who leads the team in goals and points, returned after missing two games with an upper body injury and assisted on Trocheck’s goal. Rempe, who was given a game misconduct, drew all three Dallas penalties.
Stars: They went in 31st in home power play and dropped to 10.3%
Smith took the puck from Thomas Harley, the lone defender on Dallas’ power play, near the Rangers’ blue line and broke in to tie the score after the Rangers fell behind early.
A matchup of the second-best penalty kills both home and road delivered no goals in 23 combined power play minutes.
Rangers host Carolina on Sunday, and Stars visit Utah on Monday night.
AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL
New York Rangers left wing Chris Kreider (20) pressures the net as Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) defends in the second period of an NHL hockey game in Dallas, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
New York Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren (55) works to take control of the puck while under pressure from Dallas Stars center Sam Steel (18) in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Dallas, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
New York Rangers' Vincent Trocheck (16), Alexis Lafrenière (13) and Adam Fox, right, celebrate Trocheck's score against the Dallas Stars in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Dallas, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz (24) celebrates in front of New York Rangers' Brett Berard (65) and Mika Zibanejad (93) after Hintz scored in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Dallas, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) blocks a shot under pressure frojm Dallas Stars' Mason Marchment (27) and Sam Steel (18) as Urho Vaakanainen, right, looks on in the third period of an NHL hockey game in Dallas, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) slaps the puck away on an attack by New York Rangers' Matt Rempe (73) in the second period of an NHL hockey game in Dallas, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (10) controls the puck in front of Dallas Stars' Mason Marchment (27) in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Dallas, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
New York Rangers right wing Reilly Smith (91) celebrates with the bench after scoring against the Dallas Stars in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Dallas, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) prepares to block a shot as defenseman Braden Schneider (4) helps against pressure by Dallas Stars left wing Jason Robertson (21) in the third period of an NHL hockey game in Dallas, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
New York Rangers' Igor Shesterkin (31) and Vincent Trocheck (16) celebrate the team's win in an NHL hockey game against the Dallas Stars in Dallas, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
