Hundreds of people, mostly women, came out on the streets support of Gisele Pelicot, a woman allegedly burned by her ex-husband (who was her husband at the time) for a decade and who recruited dozens of strangers for rape that has shocked the nation.
At feminist association has called for some 30 gatherings in the city ranging from Marseille to Paris, where in the Place de la Republique the banner reads “Support for Gisele” or “Shame Must Change Camp” or “Victims We believe you”.
Pelicot has become France‘s symbol of war against sexual violenceAP New reported.
Who is Gisele Pelicot?
A 72-year-old woman caught the attention of the headlines when she filed a case against her ex-husband Dominique Pelicot of repeatedly raping her and enlisting strangers to torture her heavily sedated wife in front of the couple over the course of a decade.
From the beginning the Pelicot case had to go through a rough road. He opted for a public trial to alert the public to sexual abuse and drug addiction.
During this trial, he will have to face 51 alleged rapists that will last until December. People were praised for their courage and calmness.
He also allowed journalists to use his full name in articles or other platforms and even gave a nod to the court to show an explicit video recorded by his wife showing a man having sex with her naked and inert body.
His bold and courageous behavior was praised by the entire French nation and even foreign countries.
In an open letter translated into English and published in the French newspaper Le Monde, journalist and writer Helene Devynck thanked Pelicot for his courage, echoing the sentiments of other French people.
“You entered our lives like you entered the court of Avignon, through the front door,” wrote Devynck, a figurehead of France’s #MeToo movement. “It’s not just you, Gisele, who is treated like that. They tell us, all women, how insignificant we are. Your strength restores our strength. Thank you for this great gift.”
The case of Gisele Pelicot is explained
According to police, the abuse began in 2011 when the couple lived near Paris and continued after they moved to Mazan. Dominique regularly drugged his wife and invited strangers to join him in assaulting her, often filming encounters. Pelicot does not remember the attack but will see much of it played out in court as dozens of defendants go on trial in Avignon, France, between now and December. The aftermath of the persecution has torn the once-close-knit family apart, and the reason for his actions remains unclear.
Pelicot came to know of this horrible act through the police who gave him the information.
Dominique’s crime came to light in 2020 when he was caught filming a woman in a skirt in a supermarket. After an investigation, the authorities discovered the extent of the abuse. He and 50 other men are now on trial for aggravated rape, with the trial expected to last four months. The victims of these attacks included a wide variety of individuals, from firefighters to journalists, and while most participated only once, some returned multiple times.
What happened in court?
Pelicot will face the man who has lived for more than 50 years and is a father of three children on Monday. His attorney said he plans to testify.
Her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, due to health reasons, has been excused from the trial since last week. He is expected to testify on Monday or Tuesday, his lawyer, Béatrice Zavarro, said.
Dominique has previously admitted the crime to the investigators, but the court hearing will be important for the panel of judges to decide on the surrender of 50 other people accused of rape, reported AP news agency.
Some defendants have claimed that they believed their husband’s consent to have sex was enough, while others said they were tricked by Dominique Pelicot into believing that her husband had consented.
One of the lawyers representing the six defendants has shocked the country by arguing that “there is rape and rape, and without intent, there is no rape.”
At feminist association has called for some 30 gatherings in the city ranging from Marseille to Paris, where in the Place de la Republique the banner reads “Support for Gisele” or “Shame Must Change Camp” or “Victims We believe you”.
Pelicot has become France‘s symbol of war against sexual violenceAP New reported.
Who is Gisele Pelicot?
A 72-year-old woman caught the attention of the headlines when she filed a case against her ex-husband Dominique Pelicot of repeatedly raping her and enlisting strangers to torture her heavily sedated wife in front of the couple over the course of a decade.
From the beginning the Pelicot case had to go through a rough road. He opted for a public trial to alert the public to sexual abuse and drug addiction.
During this trial, he will have to face 51 alleged rapists that will last until December. People were praised for their courage and calmness.
He also allowed journalists to use his full name in articles or other platforms and even gave a nod to the court to show an explicit video recorded by his wife showing a man having sex with her naked and inert body.
His bold and courageous behavior was praised by the entire French nation and even foreign countries.
In an open letter translated into English and published in the French newspaper Le Monde, journalist and writer Helene Devynck thanked Pelicot for his courage, echoing the sentiments of other French people.
“You entered our lives like you entered the court of Avignon, through the front door,” wrote Devynck, a figurehead of France’s #MeToo movement. “It’s not just you, Gisele, who is treated like that. They tell us, all women, how insignificant we are. Your strength restores our strength. Thank you for this great gift.”
The case of Gisele Pelicot is explained
According to police, the abuse began in 2011 when the couple lived near Paris and continued after they moved to Mazan. Dominique regularly drugged his wife and invited strangers to join him in assaulting her, often filming encounters. Pelicot does not remember the attack but will see much of it played out in court as dozens of defendants go on trial in Avignon, France, between now and December. The aftermath of the persecution has torn the once-close-knit family apart, and the reason for his actions remains unclear.
Pelicot came to know of this horrible act through the police who gave him the information.
Dominique’s crime came to light in 2020 when he was caught filming a woman in a skirt in a supermarket. After an investigation, the authorities discovered the extent of the abuse. He and 50 other men are now on trial for aggravated rape, with the trial expected to last four months. The victims of these attacks included a wide variety of individuals, from firefighters to journalists, and while most participated only once, some returned multiple times.
What happened in court?
Pelicot will face the man who has lived for more than 50 years and is a father of three children on Monday. His attorney said he plans to testify.
Her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, due to health reasons, has been excused from the trial since last week. He is expected to testify on Monday or Tuesday, his lawyer, Béatrice Zavarro, said.
Dominique has previously admitted the crime to the investigators, but the court hearing will be important for the panel of judges to decide on the surrender of 50 other people accused of rape, reported AP news agency.
Some defendants have claimed that they believed their husband’s consent to have sex was enough, while others said they were tricked by Dominique Pelicot into believing that her husband had consented.
One of the lawyers representing the six defendants has shocked the country by arguing that “there is rape and rape, and without intent, there is no rape.”
