Frenchman accused of mass rapes of drugged wife too ill to testify this week

By Antony Paone

AVIGNON, France (Reuters) -Dominique Pelicot, a 71-year-old Frenchman accused of drugging his wife and recruiting dozens of strangers to rape her, will not take part in his trial this week because his health has deteriorated, his lawyer said on Wednesday.

Pelicot, the main defendant in a case that has shocked France, had been expected to testify earlier this week, but his appearance was delayed when he was admitted to hospital.

"Mr Pelicot's state has become more serious. He will not be there tomorrow or Friday," his lawyer Beatrice Zavarro said, without disclosing additional details of Pelicot's condition.

The chief judge earlier said he might pause the whole trial should his health deteriorate further. A group of about 50 men accused of raping Pelicot's heavily sedated wife Gisele over the course of a decade are also on trial.

Prosecutors said Pelicot offered sex with his wife on a website and filmed the abuse.

His lawyer Zavarro on Wednesday morning said her client was "still in a lot of pain" when he left the court for further medical checks, to be carried out in jail. She said Pelicot could have a bladder infection or colic.

(Reporting by Antony Paone, Dominique Vidalon and Tassilo Hummel; Writing by Makini Brice; Editing by Christina Fincher)