Dominique Pelicot, who admitted to drugging and raping his wife for almost a decade and to inviting dozens of strangers to join him, was convicted on Thursday of aggravated rape and other charges and was sentenced to the maximum 20 years in prison. The court also convicted the 50 other defendants, most of them on rape charges. Catherine Porter, a New York Times reporter, followed the four-month trial and reports from Avignon.

Most of the accused received sentences of eight to 10 years, less than the 10- to 18-year terms that the public prosecutor had recommended.