AVIGNON, France -- A woman who was allegedly drugged by her now ex-husband so that she could be raped by other men while she was unconscious is expected to testify Thursday before a panel of French judges on her yearslong ordeal.

Her former husband, Dominique Pélicot, now 71, and 50 other men are facing trial on charges of rape and could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison. The trial began on Monday in the southern city of Avignon and is anticipated to continue until December.

Gisèle Pélicot and her husband of 50 years were living in their family home in a small town in Provence with their three children. However, in late 2020, her life was turned upside down.

A security officer caught her husband taking photos of women's private areas in a supermarket, prompting investigators to examine Dominique Pélicot's phone and computer. This led to the discovery of thousands of photographs and videos depicting men seemingly raping his then-wife, Gisèle, in their home while she appeared to be unconscious.

The Associated Press generally does not identify victims of sexual abuse unless they consent. Gisèle Pélicot's lawyer, Stéphane Babonneau, stated that she agreed to have her name published, mirroring her insistence on a public trial.

During their investigation, police officers also uncovered messages that Dominique Pélicot allegedly sent on a messaging platform commonly used by criminals. These messages invited men to sexually abuse his wife. The website has since been taken down.

Shocking details of the repeated abuses, which investigators determined started in 2011, and the elaborate system Pélicot had meticulously constructed over a decade emerged on Wednesday during the trial.

Men invited to the couple's home were required to adhere to specific rules — they were prohibited from speaking loudly, had to undress in the kitchen, and were forbidden from wearing perfume or smelling of tobacco, according to French media reports.

They would sometimes have to wait for up to 90 minutes in a nearby parking lot for the drug to fully take effect and render their victim unconscious.

Upon hearing some of the chilling details presented in court, the couple's daughter, who appears nude in photomontages found on her father’s computer, broke down and had to leave the courtroom, French media reported.

Because Pélicot videotaped the alleged rapes, police were able to locate — over a period of two years — a majority of the 72 suspects they were seeking.

Besides Pélicot, 50 other men, ranging in age from 22 to 70, are standing trial. Several defendants are denying some of the accusations against them, claiming they were manipulated by Pélicot.

Over the coming months, the defendants will appear in small groups before a panel of five judges, with Pélicot scheduled to testify next week. Psychologists, psychiatrists, and computer experts will also provide testimony.

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Vaux-Montagny reported from Lyon, France