Dominique Pelicot, the man convicted of raping his wife and of inviting dozens of others to join him in the abuse, did not appeal. But 17 of the other 50 found guilty did.

Seventeen men convicted in the Pelicot mass rape trial have appealed the verdict, according to the prosecutor’s office in the French city of Avignon.

WARNING: This article may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it. Throngs of cheering supporters greeted Gisèle Pelicot as she left the courthouse in Avignon,