Thousands of people in France took part in protests across the country in support of Gisèle Pélicot, as the criminal trial prosecuting her husband and the dozens of men who raped her continues.
The 71-year-old woman from the small French town of Mazan made the courageous decision to waive her right to anonymity and instead go public with her allegations of rape.
Now, Gisèle’s 71-year-old husband, Dominque Pélicot and more than 90 men have been charged and are being tried for rape from 2011-2020. The trial is being held in the French city of Avignon.
An investigation found over the course of nearly a decade, Dominque would regularly drug Gisèle with sleeping pills until she was unconscious, before inviting strangers into their home to rape her. There were at least 200 instances of rape committed by more than 90 men, who Dominique allegedly recruited online.
Gisèle’s decision to make the trial public was to “raise awareness” and to ensure “events like these never happen again”, presiding Judge Roger Arata told the court at the start of the trial earlier this month.
The case has shocked and angered the world, with many in France taking to the streets over the weekend to protest against men’s violence against women.
The protests were busting rape myths that exist, myths that make victims feel ashamed, perpetuate the “not all men” narrative and portray sexual assault as something that doesn’t happen in seemingly ordinary places.
In Paris, protestors were heard chanting: “We are all Gisèle… Rapist we see you, victim we believe you.”
In the southern city or Marseille, protestors hung a banner on the court building that called for perpetrators of rape to feel ashamed, rather than victims of rape.
“Shame must change sides,” the banner read.
People online continue to share their outrage over the case, especially as it was revealed that among the accused men included a local councillor, a nurse, a journalist, a former police officer, a prison guard, a soldier, a firefighter and a civil servant.
Not all men, but her husband, a local councillor, a nurse, a journalist, a former police officer, a prison guard, a soldier, a firefighter and a civil servant, to name a few.
— Zoë Grünewald (@zoe_grunewald) September 7, 2024
This case sickens me. We should be taking to the streets. Women are never safe. https://t.co/4oqZtsWVMM
Many of the men that allegedly raped Gisèle lived within a kilometre of her home in Mazan, including her “polite” neighbour, the court heard.
Fatima Benomar, the co-president of the feminist group Coudes à Coudes, described the case as a “trial of masculinity”.
“The Mazan trial is in truth the trial of toxic masculinity, of the trivialized culture of marital rape, of this ideology of male rights holders,” Benomar wrote on Instagram.
“That is to say those men who consider that if a particular woman belongs to a man who gives them the green light, she becomes available to them, regardless of his consent.”
Last week, as the criminal trial continued, many of the accused men defended themselves by saying they believed Gisèle gave consent to the sexual acts performed on her while she was unconscious. She refuted this claim.
“I was a dead woman,” Gisèle told the court.
“These people knew exactly what they were doing… They treated me like a rag doll.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au for online chat and video call services.
If you are concerned about your behaviour or use of violence, you can contact the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or visit http://www.ntv.org.au.
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