CONTENT WARNING: This article discusses sexual assault.
In a case that’s shocked France and the world, Gisèle Pelicot has finally seen justice served. All 51 men involved in her decade-long ordeal of drugging and rape have been found guilty of rape, with her ex-husband copping the maximum 20-year sentence.
The 72-year-old grandmother faced the media outside the Avignon courthouse, expressing her gratitude for the overwhelming support she received during the gruelling trial.
“We share the same fight.” Gisèle said in here first appearance after the verdict.
“It’s also for them that I led this fight,” she said looking to her grandchildren, per 9News.
“Your messages moved me deeply, and they gave me the strength to come back, every day, and survive through these long daily hearings,” she said, per AP News. “This trial was a very difficult ordeal.”
The horrific details of the case have left the world reeling. Gisèle’s ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, also 72, admitted to drugging her food and drink for nearly a decade from 2011 to 2020. He then invited men to rape her unconscious body, filming the assaults.
In a confession during the trial, Dominique declared, “I am a rapist like the others in this room.”
Dominique lawyer, Béatrice Zavarro, told reporters that she would consider appealing the courts ruling over her client, but also hoped that Gisèle finds solace in the verdict.
“I wanted Mrs Pelicot to be able to emerge from these hearings in peace, and I think that the verdicts will contribute to this relief for Mrs Pelicot,” she said per France 24.
The other defendants, ranging in age from 26 to 73, included an alarming cross-section of people — firefighters, gardeners, soldiers, and a journalist. While 15 of the 50 co-defendants admitted to rape, most tried to claim they were just participating in consensual acts.
Shockingly, Gisèle had no idea about the assaults until police uncovered thousands of photos and videos documenting the abuse.
9News reports that as the verdicts were read out, Gisèle sat facing the defendants, occasionally nodding. Outside the courthouse, supporters followed the proceedings on their phones, bursting into applause as the guilty verdicts were announced.
Sentences for the co-defendants ranged from three to 15 years and six defendants were told that they were now free, accounting for time already spent in detention while awaiting trial.
Throughout this ordeal, Gisèle has become an unexpected hero for sexual assault survivors across France and the world. Her courage in waiving her right to anonymity and facing her abusers in court has sparked a national conversation about consent and sexual violence.
This verdict serves as a powerful ending to brutal journey.
Lead image: Getty Images
Help is available.
- If you require immediate assistance, please call 000.
- If you’d like to speak to someone about sexual violence, please call the 1800 Respect hotline on 1800 737 732 or chat online.
- Under 25? You can reach Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800 or chat online.
The post Gisèle Pelicot Speaks Out After All 51 Defendants In Mass Rape Trial Found Guilty appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
