France: Gisele Pelicot calls for change in 'macho' society

Gisele Pelicot, a French woman whose ex-husband is on trial on charges of having drugged her over the course of many years to allow himself and dozens of strangers to rape and sexually abuse her, said on Tuesday that "macho" society had to change its attitude to rape.

"It's time that the macho, patriarchal society that trivializes rape changes," she said in her closing statement at the trial of the 51 male accused, who include her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot.

"It's time we changed the way we look at rape," she added.

Another 50 men are on trial alongside Dominique Pelicot for having participated in the crimes.

The case has shocked all of France and triggered protests and a debate about male violence in French society.

The case of Gisele Pelicot has triggered rallies protesting at violence against womenImage: Ian Langsdon/AFP

'Cowardly trial'

Pelicot, 71, who has become a feminist icon for rejecting the idea that rape victims should be ashamed and calling for a trial that is open to the public, said many defendants had displayed cowardice, both in their acts and their testimony.

"I've seen people take the stand who deny rape, and some who admit it," she said.

 "I want to say to these men: At what point did Mrs. Pelicot give you her consent when you entered the room? At what point do you become aware of this inert body? At what point do you not report it to the police?" she added.

Dominique Pelicot has confessed to the crime of rape, but most of the accused have denied having committed the offense, saying they thought they were taking part in sex games with Gisele Pelicot's permission.

 Only 14 of Dominique Pelicot's codefendants have admitted the charges of aggravated rape, for which most of them face up to 20 years imprisonment if convicted. 

 Pelicot said she would never recover from what had happened to her

"I've lost 10 years of my life that I'll never make up for," she said. "This scar will never heal."

Years of abuse

Dominique Pelicot is charged with having carried out or facilitated the rapes and abuse over a nine-year period from 2011 to 2020 at the couple's home in Mazan in southwestern France

Gisele Pelicot became aware of what had happened to her only after her then-husband, a retired real estate agent, was arrested for filming up the skirts of women in a supermarket.

She said that for years she had strange memory lapses and other health problems and thought she might have had Alzheimer's.

Investigators have counted around 200 instances of rape, most of them by her husband and more than 90 by strangers.

Her daughter, who uses the pen name Caroline Darian, believes she was also assaulted by her father.

The trial began in early September, and the verdict is expected to be delivered by December 20 at the latest.

tj/sms (AFP, AP)