France’s Gisele Pelicot says ‘macho’ society must change attitude on rape

Gisele Pelicot (L) arrives at the Avignon courthouse for the trial of her former partner Dominique Pelicot accused of drugging her for nearly ten years and inviting strangers to rape her at their home in Mazan, a small town in the south of France, in Avignon, on November 20, 2024. A court in the French southern town of Avignon is trying Dominique Pelicot, a 71-year-old retiree, for repeatedly raping and enlisting dozens of strangers to rape his heavily sedated wife in her own bed over a decade. Fifty other men, aged between 26 and 74, are also on trial for alleged involvement, in a case that has horrified France. The court proceedings, which runs until December, are open to the public at the request of Dominique Pelicot’s ex-wife and victim. (Photo by Christophe SIMON / AFP)

Gisele Pelicot, the French woman drugged by her ex-husband so she could be raped and sexually abused by him and dozens of strangers, said that it was time for a “macho” society to change its attitude on rape.

“It’s time that the macho, patriarchal society that trivialises rape changes,” said Gisele Pelicot in her closing statement at the trial of her ex-husband and dozens of other men on rape charges.

“It’s time we changed the way we look at rape,” she said in the southern city of Avignon.

Since early September her ex-husband Dominique Pelicot has been in the dock along with 49 other men. Another defendant is still at large.

Gisele Pelicot has become a feminist icon by refusing to be ashamed and demanding the trial be open to the public to raise awareness about the use of drugs to commit sexual abuse.

Gisele, 71, said the marathon hearings were an examination of the “cowardice” of the men who took part in the rapes organised by her husband.

Dominique Pelicot listened, with his head bowed.

“I’ve seen people take the stand who deny rape, and some who admit it,” Gisele said.

“I want to say to these men: at what point did Mrs Pelicot give you her consent when you entered the room? At what point do you become aware of this inert body? At what point do you not report it to the police?”

None of her abusers alerted the police about the rapes that lasted between 2011 and 2020.

“I can hear this gentleman saying ‘a finger is not rape’,” Gisele Pelicot said, in reference to testimony.

Investigators have counted around 200 instances of rape, most of them by her husband and more than 90 by strangers.

‘Scar will never heal’

Gisele said her former husband “had a lot of fantasies that I couldn’t fulfil”.

“But why did it come to this? I think what he wanted was Mrs Pelicot and not someone else,” she added.

“As I didn’t want to go to a swingers’ club, he thought he’d found the solution by putting me to sleep.”

“I’ve lost 10 years of my life that I’ll never make up for,” she said.

“This scar will never heal,” she added, struggling to hold back her anger.

In a closing statement, Dominique Pelicot again admitted to the accusations, saying that his “motive” was wanting to satisfy a “fantasy”.

“I came to do what I did through people who willingly accepted what I proposed,” he told the court.

Of the co-defendants, only 14 have admitted the charges of aggravated rape, for which most of them face up to 20 years imprisonment if convicted.

The 35 others deny having raped Gisele Pelicot and maintain that they thought they were taking part in sex games.

Gisele said there was no distinction between them, adding they have “defiled” her.

“They all came to rape me,” she said. “I’m going to have to live with this all my life.”

‘Die in lies’

Gisele’s daughter, who uses the pen name Caroline Darian, believes she was assaulted by her father, who also posted intimate photos of her. In 2022, she wrote a book “Et j’ai cesse de t’appeler papa” (“And I stopped calling you dad”).

After Dominique Pelicot spoke, family lawyer Antoine Camus said Caroline needed an “audible and human response” to the actions she says she is “convinced” she suffered at his hands.

Dominque Pelicot turned to her directly and said: “Caroline, I have never done anything to you.”

But she interrupted, saying: “You lie, you don’t have the courage to tell the truth! Even about your ex-wife!”

“You will die in lies! Alone, alone in lies Dominique Pelicot!”

Gisele Pelicot’s life was shattered in 2020 when she discovered that her partner of five decades had for years been secretly administering her large doses of sleeping pills to rape her and invite strangers to join him in their home in the village of Mazan, a list that grew to dozens over time.

Gisele Pelicot has said that she had strange memory lapses and other health problems and thought she might have had Alzheimer’s.

The trial has entered its final stages, with the civil parties set to deliver their closing arguments later this week.

Next week prosecutors are scheduled to give their closing arguments and make their sentencing demands for the defendants.

The verdict is expected to be delivered by December 20 at the latest.

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