‘The danger can be invisible and close at hand’, warned Gisèle Pelicot, stressing that the rapist is not always the stranger in a dark car park, but can also be a family member or friend. These powerful words, delivered before the Vaucluse criminal court on Wednesday 23 October, marked a turning point in the ongoing trial

Her shocking testimony came during the Mazan rape trial, which began on 2 September, a sordid affair in which Gisèle, now aged 71, was drugged by her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, before being handed over to strangers for ten years. ‘I am a destroyed woman’, she confided, expressing her desire to publicise her story in order to bring about a profound change in society. ‘I don’t want victims to feel ashamed any more. The shame is theirs to bear’, she added forcefully.

A liberating statement

In court, Gisèle Pelicot also explained why she wanted the trial to be open to the public: ‘If I can testify, then other women can too. I want them to know that it is possible to fight back, that their silence is not inevitable’. A powerful appeal that she hopes will encourage other victims to break the silence and no longer carry the burden of guilt for the crimes they have suffered.

This statement came halfway through the trial, when her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, admitted how easily he had drugged his wife to enable other men, recruited on the Internet, to rape her. By speaking out publicly, Gisèle has become a symbol of courage in the face of the unspeakable and the horror of sexual violence.

In a call for justice and social change, she concluded her speech by reiterating her commitment: ‘I want this society to change. We must protect women and ensure that only the perpetrators are shamed’

Since the trial began, Gisèle Pelicot has been greeted almost daily by warm applause when she walks through the doors of the Avignon courthouse. Wednesday was no exception. Just the day before, she had left the court to a standing ovation and had been offered a bouquet of flowers, which she accepted with emotion, thanking the many supporters present.

Despite the cumbersome nature of the hearings, she hardly misses a single session, attentively watching the defendants in this case with international repercussions. The defendants face sentences of up to 20 years’ imprisonment.