A French judge has reversed a ruling in the trial of a man who is accused of drugging his wife to sleep and recruiting dozens of men to abuse her for over a decade.

Lawyers for Gisèle Pelicot, 72, had earlier appealed against the judge’s initial decision to only show video of the crimes to lawyers and the jury.

She has waived her right to anonymity in the trial, enabling the shocking details of the case to be heard in public.

Her lawyers argued the video should be seen to draw attention to the use of drugs to commit sexual abuse. They hailed the latest ruling as a “victory”