How the trial of Gisele Pelicot sparked a mass movement

The French rape trial that shocked the world and sparked widespread calls for justice for female rape victims ended Thursday with the conviction of 51 men for the rape and attempted rape of Gisele Pelicot, including her husband, who gave drugs and arranged the abuse for years had.

Dominique Pelicot, her husband, was sentenced to 20 years in prison, while the other 50 men received sentences ranging from three to 15 years. Two were found guilty of attempted rape and two of sexual assault, while the remainder were found guilty of rape.

A crowd of protesters erupted in applause and cheers outside the courtroom in Avignon, southern France, as the verdict was read. For months, protesters crowded outside the courtroom cheering Gisele Pelicot and the feminist slogan her case sparked: “Shame must switch sides.”

“I think of the unrecognized victims whose stories often remain in the shadows. I want you to know that we share the same struggle,” she said in a statement after the verdict.

The trial sparked protests across France and beyond. In September, weeks after it began, feminists gathered in dozens of cities, including Paris, where thousands of people gathered at Place de la République to demonstrate against “rape culture” and in support of female rape victims.

Gisele Pelicot became a feminist hero in the eyes of many women when she waived her right to anonymity during the trial and revealed the horror of her ordeal to the public. Her rapists are frighteningly diverse – from firefighters to DJs, some married with children, others single and approaching 50 years old – which is why some in France call her “Mr. Call it “Everyman”.

Dominique Pelicot admitted his guilt at the start of the trial: “I am a rapist, just like everyone else in this room,” he told the court.

More:“We are all Gisèle”: French women rise up against “rape culture” during Gisèle Pelicot trial.

Police first arrested him in 2020 for attempting to photograph women’s skirts in a supermarket. On his electronic devices they found hundreds of images of his sleeping wife, who was being abused by himself and dozens of men.

It was a terrible end to what Gisele Pelicot believed was a happy five-decade marriage. She divorced him before the trial began.

Trial sparks uproar over rape convictions and justice system

Feminist leaders and activists said the case was also a searing indictment of the French legal system’s handling of rape and sexual violence.

Gisele Pelicot reiterated her concerns in her own statements to the court, calling out “this macho, patriarchal society” and its approach to rape in her closing remarks last month.

Some pointed to the country’s recent dramatic increase in sexual assault victims – they doubled from 2017 to 2019 – and the tiny number of convictions – less than 5% of tens of thousands of rapes reported in recent years and estimated to be nine out of 10 Rapes never reported.

Others pointed to the problem of “chemical subjugation” – drug-assisted rape. Until her husband was arrested by police, Gisele Pelicot believed that her memory failures were signs of a brain tumor or the onset of Alzheimer’s.

More:“We are all Gisèle”: French women rise up against “rape culture” during Gisèle Pelicot trial.

Violette Perrotte, director of Le Maison des Femmes, which runs medical centers for female victims of violence, said the organization had begun training doctors to look for signs that victims had taken drugs in response to the trial.

“The trial revealed a real lack of training for medical professionals in identifying victims of domestic violence,” Perrotte said.

Perrotte wondered how many women might have come to medical centers showing signs of rape similar to Pelicot’s but were not identified because doctors didn’t yet know the signs.

Pelicot children petitioned the court to punish their father

During the trial, the Pelicot children instinctively spoke about their anger at their father and how his crimes tore their family apart. The couple’s two sons said their father died for them and wanted the court to punish him severely.

Caroline Darian, the Pelicots’ only daughter, said she believes her father also drugged and abused her. He denies the accusation, but explicit images of Darian were also found on his devices.

Darian launched a chemical subjugation awareness campaign called #Mendorspas, “Don’t Pressure Me,” and is writing a book called “I’ll Never Call Him Dad Again: Turning Our Family Trauma of Chemical Subjugation Into a Collective Struggle” . “ is scheduled to be released next month.

Feminists celebrate beliefs, criticize judgments

While French feminists celebrated the convictions outside the courtroom, others criticized the sentences as inadequate. With the exception of Dominique Pelicot, the sentences for the other men ranged from three to 15 years in prison, below the four to 18 year sentences sought by prosecutors.

Alyssa Ahrabare, president of the French Coordination of the European Women’s Lobby, called the ruling “a mixed victory.”

The men’s sentences were below the national average, she said. “Given the length of the proceedings and the seriousness of the matter, it should have been tougher.”

The trial hasn’t resolved the fact that rape victims like Pelicot have to endure a years-long trial, confronting their rapists in court and answering intrusive questions, Ahrabare said. During the trial, some feminists criticized defense attorneys’ questions to Gisele Pelicot, claiming that she was an alcoholic or willing to participate in a married couple’s sex games.

Anissa Rami, a French feminist activist who spoke at a protest, called the length of the sentences “a disgrace.” She hopes that the discussion that the trial has sparked can stay alive.

“I still don’t have hope for the judiciary (justice system), but I have hope for the women who feel less alone,” she said.

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