Gisèle Pelicot Condemns Accused Rapists and Advocates for French Societal Change

Gisèle Pelicot has characterized the extensive rape case involving 51 men as a “trial of cowardice,” stating that France’s “macho, patriarchal society,” which “trivialises rape,” must undergo a transformation. Her former husband, Dominique Pelicot, has confessed to recruiting numerous men online to sexually assault her while she was sedated and unconscious over nearly a decade at their home in Mazan. During a tumultuous day in court, a defense lawyer’s accusation that she remained under her ex-husband’s influence and was unable to fully condemn him caused an uproar. Ms. Pelicot has been present at the mass rape trial since its commencement in September. She chose to waive her right to anonymity, allowing the entire proceedings to be heard publicly in the Avignon courtroom. This case has not only shocked France but has also attracted global interest. It has brought to light the issue of drug-induced sexual assault and prompted discussions about whether consent should be incorporated into the French legal definition of rape. Warning: Certain details presented in this account are graphic from the outset. Tuesday’s session marked the final opportunity for the defense attorneys of the men on trial for rape to convince the judges that her former husband, Dominique Pelicot, had somehow tricked them into raping her while she was unconscious. Approximately 15 defendants occupied the defendants’ box, while Dominique Pelicot sat in a separate enclosure, resting his chin on his hand. A minority of the 50 individuals admit to raping Gisèle Pelicot, but the majority deny it. When Dominique Pelicot was asked if he accepted manipulating the other defendants into raping his wife or if he had drugged them, he responded firmly: “Absolutely not.” He suggested they had utilized that defense “to save themselves.” Gisèle Pelicot’s lawyer also inquired what he wished to say to his family, particularly his daughter Caroline. Partially unclothed images of Caroline were discovered on Dominique Pelicot’s laptop, and when questioned about the file he had labeled “my naked daughter,” he addressed her across the room: “I have watched her fall apart… Caroline, I never touched you.” She shouted across the court: “You are lying; I am sick of your lies, you’re alone in your lie, you will die lying.” A complete silence fell as they looked at each other, and Dominique Pelicot then held his head in his hands. The rest of the family, their faces etched with anguish, stared at him, while Gisèle Pelicot herself showed no reaction. Shortly before Ms. Pelicot took the stand, Philippe L, the last of the 50 defendants, stated he had been “surprised” by the situation when Dominique Pelicot welcomed him into his home and insisted that he penetrate Gisèle Pelicot. He also denies rape, asserting he set his conscience aside and “was thinking with my penis instead of my brain.” After Philippe L left the dock, Ms. Pelicot informed the court that by foregoing her right to a trial behind closed doors, she “knew what I was signing up for,” though she conceded, “today I can feel the tiredness.” When asked if she believed there was a difference between those who had admitted to raping her and those who had not, Ms. Pelicot stated that “all came to rape me… all committed a crime.” However, she emphasized that when the accused admitted to rape in the dock, “I looked them in the eye.” “I’ve seen individuals who deny rape parade before the court,” she said. “I want to tell these men: at which moment when you enter that bedroom did Ms Pelicot give you consent?” “I’ve heard ‘I was manipulated’, I’ve heard ‘I drank a glass of water, I was drugged’. But at what point did they not realise?” Ms. Pelicot was also questioned about her continued use of her ex-husband’s name, given that her own children had adopted different surnames. The room fell silent as she calmly explained that when she first appeared in the Avignon court, her children were ashamed of the name, but her grandchildren still bore the Pelicot surname. “Today I want them to be proud of their grandmother,” she declared. “My name is known across the world now. They shouldn’t be ashamed of carrying that name. Today we will remember Gisèle Pelicot.” The atmosphere in the courtroom became tense when defense lawyer Nadia El-Bouroumi questioned Ms. Pelicot, suggesting she had used “harsh words” towards the other defendants, but not her husband. “Looking at you – and I’m sorry to say this – I wondered whether we’d ever see you cry,” El-Bouroumi inquired at one point. The lawyer’s combative and at times aggressive tone elicited gasps from the public and media present in the courtroom, with several individuals shaking their heads in disbelief. Ms. Pelicot rejected suggestions that, in retrospect, she might have “seen the signs” that something was amiss on the mornings after being drugged: “I would wake up with my usual pyjamas on, so no.” She spoke of losing 10 years of her life due to medical concerns caused by the drugs her former husband had administered without her knowledge. “I thought I’d either die or end up in a mental hospital,” she reflected. “I am 72 now and I don’t know how much time I have left.” Defense lawyers also questioned her about the images of their daughter Caroline found on Dominique Pelicot’s laptop. The Pelicots’ children subsequently stormed out of the courtroom and did not return for some time, while Gisèle Pelicot later stated that it “isn’t a family trial.” When a defense lawyer proposed to Ms. Pelicot that she remained under her ex-husband’s control and was unable to fully denounce him, she stood silently in court as the lawyers from both sides shouted at each other. The presiding judge was compelled to intervene to bring the argument to an end. Later in the day, the court heard a statement Dominique Pelicot gave to police in November 2020, two months after he was caught filming under women’s skirts by a supermarket security guard. That incident eventually led police to discover thousands of videos he had filmed of men having sex with his wife while she was unconscious. She had been entirely unaware of these events and subsequently realized he had been drugging her from 2011 to 2020. The trial is scheduled to conclude next month, with a verdict anticipated in the latter half of December. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.