Gisèle Pelicot’s brave testimony at the trial of her rapist husband in Avignon, France, turned her into an international feminist icon – today French courts returned guilty verdicts against him and 50 other men
Dominique Pelicot’s rape trial outcome has the world transfixed today, with his wife Gisèle finally receiving a measure of justice for his sick crimes.
French courts returned guilty verdicts on Pelicot, 72, and the 50 other men aged between 26 and 74 accused of raping Ms Pelicot, 72, at her home in Mazan, southern France, while she was drugged by her ex-husband. Ms Pelicot became a national hero after she refused to be victimised and waived an anonymity order that would have kept her name private.
Waiving the order, she declared: “It’s not for us to have shame, it’s for them.” She said she wanted to make “shame swap sides” from victim to rapist, a move that has made her an internationally-celebrated feminist icon, and ignited a globe-spanning conversation about sexual violence.
The Pelicot rape trial began on September 2 this year, nearly two years after French police made Ms Pelicot aware of videos showing dozens of men raping her at the couple’s home while she was unconscious. Investigators had seized Pelicot’s devices after he was caught filming up the skirts of women in a supermarket in Carpentras, a town nearby Mazan.
He was arrested on September 12, 2020, and Ms Pelicot was made aware of the footage just over two months later on November 2. She moved out of the couple’s home a day after police said they believed her husband had drugged her and invited the men who raped her to their home.
Police made the first arrests of the dozens of other men charged in the case in 2021, and the trial began earlier this year with testimony from Ms Pelicot, who took to the stand following her decision to make the trial public. She vowed to change the way society handles rape in a heartfelt statement.
She said: “So when other women, if they wake up with no memory, they might remember the testimony of Ms Pelicot. No woman should suffer from being drugged and victimised.” Her testimony did exactly that, inspiring women in France and beyond, and the defence from the accused had a similar effect.
Defence lawyers said the accused were just regular men representing various aspects of French society. They served multiple roles, with prison wardens, a soldier, lorry drivers and farm workers among them. The lawyers said these men were normal people looking for a “swinging” adventure who became caught up in something much more sinister.
Speaking to the BBC, Elsa Labouret, an activist with French campaign group Dare to be Feminist, said the argument was “shocking” and that it has helped women identify with Ms Pelicot. She said: “[That argument is] the most shocking thing about this case. It’s harrowing to think about it. I think most people in long-term relationships with men think of their partner as someone trustworthy.
“But now there’s this sense of identification [with Ms Pelicot] for a lot of women. Like, ‘okay, so that can happen to me’. These are not criminal masterminds. They just went on the internet… So, it is possible similar things are happening everywhere.” The panel of judges who oversaw the trial has found every one of the 51 defendants guilty today.
Courts found 47 of them guilty of rape, two of attempted rape, and two of sexual assault, with Mr Pelicot himself found guilty of aggravated rape. Cheers could be heard ringing out across Avignon as the verdicts were read out, with members of the public celebrating Ms Pelicot’s incredible bravery.
