Photo: Lewis Joly Associated Press Gisèle Pelicot leaves the courthouse in Avignon, southern France, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024
John Leicester – Associated Press in Paris
Published at 6:57 p.m.
- Europe
Women and men demonstrated together in Paris and other French cities on Saturday in support of Gisèle Pelicot, and against the sexual violence exposed by the harrowing trial of her ex-husband and dozens of other men prosecuted for raping her while she was deliberately drugged and unconscious.
Protests outside the Paris Criminal Court, in Lyon and elsewhere highlighted how Pelicot’s courage in speaking out about her ordeal inspires people in France and beyond, even as they have been horrified by the scale and brutality of the abuse she suffered over a decade.
Since the trial began on September 2, in which Ms Pelicot faced 51 of her alleged rapists, she has been praised for her composure and her decision to keep the hearings public, after the court had initially suggested they be held behind closed doors.
“She has decided to make this trial an emblematic trial,” said Elsa Labouret, one of the Paris protesters and a spokesperson for the women’s group “Dare to be Feminist!” ».
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Photo: Damien Meyer Agence France-Presse A street sign reading “Gisele Peliqueen” (a play on words between Pelicot and Queen) was unveiled during a protest against sexism and sexual violence in Rennes, western France, on October 19, 2024.
“Victims don't have to do what she did. They have the right to have their anonymity protected. That's not necessarily a duty for any victim. But what she decided to do is very, very important, because we can no longer ignore the violence that some men can resort to,” she said.
The protesters denounced what they see as the laxity of the French justice system regarding sexual violence and the fear of being raped and assaulted that they say harass women on a daily basis.
The placards they held read: “Shame must change sides,” “Stop the denial,” “Not your punching ball” and “We are all Gisèle. Are you all Dominique ??? ».
Dominique Pelicot admitted during the trial to repeatedly drugging his wife for nearly a decade without her knowledge and inviting dozens of men to rape her while she lay unconscious in their bed.
He told the court that he also raped Gisèle and that the 50 other men also on trial knew exactly what they were doing. She has been divorced since his arrest. The trial is expected to last until December.
The defendants range in age from 26 to 74. Many of them deny raping Gisèle Pelicot, saying that her then-husband manipulated them or that they thought she was consenting.
“You can never know who is a rapist or who is a monster. “It could be your neighbor, it could be anyone,” said Khalil Ndiaye, a student protester in Paris.
“It’s really disgusting to think that it could be people that you know, people that you spend time with every day and who, for example, could do things like that.”
He said he considers Gisèle Pelicot an icon.
“Because in her pain, she decided not to give up and not to let it happen,” he said. “She decided to fight. And we are all here today because she is fighting and she inspires us to fight too.”