Gisele Pelicot’s ex-husband was sentenced to 20 years in prison in France on Thursday for drugging and raping her over a period of around a decade, while inviting other men to do so. Photo by Guillaume Horcajuelo/EPA-EFE

The 20-year prison sentence imposed on Dominique Pelicot was the maximum sentence allowed under French law.

The 72-year-old pleaded guilty to drugging and raping his then-wife for around a decade.

Dominique Pelicot met strangers on the Internet and invited them to the couple’s home to take part in the gang rapes.

Senior Judge Roger Arata found the other 50 men on trial guilty for their involvement after a very public trial that captured the country’s attention. The other defendants were between 26 and 74 years old and received prison sentences of between three and 13 years.

Authorities said it was likely that more than 70 men were actually involved in the sessions, but they could not identify all of them.

As Gisele Pelicot left the courthouse on Friday, she was greeted by cheers and signs of encouragement from supporters.

“It is with deep emotion that I am here, the trial was a very difficult ordeal,” Pelicot told reporters and supporters.

“I also think of the many victims who go unacknowledged and whose stories often remain in the shadows. I want you to know that we share the same struggle.”

Pelicot said she never considered not continuing the public trial.

“When I opened the doors to this process on September 2nd, I wanted society to be able to participate in this debate. I have never regretted this decision. I have confidence in our ability to envision together a future in which everyone, women and men alike, can live in harmony, with mutual respect and understanding.”