Many women chanted slogans praising Giselle Pellicot as an emerging feminist icon as the 72-year-old woman arrived at the courthouse for her gang rape trial in Avignon, France. She has often been seen in traditionally attractive outfits with an auburn bob cut and dark glasses, a nod to her decision to waive anonymity and make her gang rape trial public.
Pellicott walked into the courtroom three weeks ago for the trial that shocked the nation when it was revealed that her husband, Dominic Pellicott, had invited dozens of men to rape her after sedating her for decades .
Dominique Pellicot, 71, was caught by a security guard in November 2020 as he was filming a video up women’s skirts in a supermarket near his home, The Guardian reported. Soon after, the police investigate her computer, causing Gisele’s life to fall apart. While investigating the case, police noticed a file labeled “abuse” on a USB drive that was connected to Dominic Pellicote’s computer, the report said. Authorities found approximately 20,000 photographs and films of him raping his wife approximately 100 times.
Gisele Pellicot referred to the moment when investigators first showed her the vision as “an explosion, a tsunami.” During the trial she said, “My world is falling apart. For me, everything is falling apart. Everything I’ve built over 50 years… Frankly, these are scary scenes for me.”
Police investigation revealed that her husband contacted the accused criminals through an online chat room after sedating her with a good mixture of crushed sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medication. This leads Giselle to believe that she may be suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, which slowly destroys one’s memory.
After being told by the judge that he would do his best to avoid asking “disturbing” questions, he said, “Given what I’ve been through, nothing bothers me,” The Telegraph reports. Is.”
Of the 50 people accused of raping her after she was recruited by her husband, some had confessed to the crime while some had denied that it was ‘rape’. She said, “Those who deny that this was rape, I tell them to take responsibility for their actions for once in their lives.”
Photo courtesy: AFP
As the trial began, Gisele decided to waive her right to remain anonymous, stating her intention to raise awareness about drug-induced sexual violence. “Shame changes sides,” he declared, emphasizing that the burden of shame should be borne by perpetrators, not victims. In the past three weeks since the trial began, her face has been on newspaper front pages, graffitied walls and television screens, making her an icon of the French feminist movement, often playing a key role in laying out the basics. Known for. Principles of Feminist Theory Around the World. France has seen the birth of seminal feminist works ranging from Simone de Beauvoir’s “The Second Sex” to Hélène Cixous’s “The Laugh of the Medusa.”
Giselle displayed remarkable composure during her testimony as she described her abuse. He said that he only had the courage to witness those scenes in May 2024, when he saw himself being treated “like a rag doll”. Giselle’s testimony also revealed that she had contracted multiple sexually transmitted diseases and was exposed to HIV during the attacks. Responding to claims by some defendants that she had consented to these encounters, she stated bluntly: “This is an insult to my intelligence. These people knew full well the condition I was in.”
The trial has ignited a wide public discussion on masculinity and consent in France. Thousands of people have rallied in support of Gisele, demanding accountability for sexual violence and challenging the social norms that allow such acts to continue. A letter signed by over 200 high-profile people in support of Gisele Pellicot was published in the French daily Liberation.
“Let’s stop seeing women’s bodies as objects at our disposal,” read a text signed by more than 170 men and published in the left-leaning Liberation newspaper on Saturday. It reads, “Let’s stop thinking that a certain male nature exists that justifies our behavior, let’s stop perpetuating the boys’ club and protecting our male peers.”
Ivan Jablonka, a social historian, said the trial was “historic” because of the number of defendants, AFP reported. “It’s a reminder, if necessary, that rapes are committed by our neighbors, our colleagues, our relatives in our homes,” he said.
However, not all responses have been supportive.
Comments by local officials downplaying Gisele’s ordeal have sparked anger on social media. The mayor of Mazan faced criticism after saying “After all, no one died” in the case, after which he had to apologize for his insensitivity.
As Gisele Pellicotte continues to testify against her abusers, she remains steadfast in her mission: “I want this to be exemplary,” she said, adding that her fight is not just for her, but for those For all the women who are silently suffering from sexual abuse. Paying tribute to the policeman who initially arrested her husband and searched his phone and computer. “There’s no doubt he saved my life,” he said.
With each passing day in court, she dismantles the stigma attached to victims of sexual violence and challenges the social norms that allow such atrocities to continue. Although her husband has now pleaded guilty in the trial, the exact reason behind his dastardly act is yet to be clearly stated. However, the presence of more than 20,000 scenes revealing shocking revelations also points to a tendency towards voyeurism. The trial is expected to run till December 2024.
