Dominique Pelicot admitted to drugging his wife and recruiting dozens of strangers to rape her over nearly a decade, begging for his family's forgiveness, as he told a French court on Tuesday: "I am a rapist.

Gisele Pelicot, who was drugged and raped by dozens of men recruited by her husband, on Wednesday called the men standing trial "degenerates" while attempts from some defence lawyers to question her credibility caused outrage in the courtroom.

Frenchman Jean-Pierre Marechal has told a court that Dominique Pelicot supplied him with tranquilisers and convinced him to abuse his own wife.