Warning: The content of this article discusses rape and may be distressing to some readers.
In a court appearance, Gisèle Pelicot confronted her husband, who confessed to drugging her and permitting 83 individuals to sexually assault her.
In Avignon, France, the 72-year-old French woman became the focus of a large-scale sexual abuse trial last month.
It was revealed that Ms. Pelicot was unknowingly drugged and subjected to repeated sexual assaults by her former husband, Dominique Pelicot, over nearly a decade.
He reportedly mixed sleeping pills and other substances into her meals and engaged with men online, inviting them to their home to violate her while unconscious. These crimes were recorded and stored by him on a hard drive labelled ‘abuse’.
Mr. Pelicot’s crimes came to light following his arrest for upskirting in a supermarket. He has confessed to orchestrating the assaults on his wife by recruiting men.
The case involves ’83 other men’, of which 51, including Mr. Pelicot, are currently on trial in France.
Ms. Pelicot received a warm reception of applause when she arrived in court on Wednesday (23 October), as reported by Sky News. During her testimony, she directly addressed her ex-husband.
She expressed: “So many times, I said to myself how lucky am I to have you at my side. He took me to neurologist, to scanners when I was worried. He also went with me to the gynaecologist. For me, he was someone I trusted entirely.
“How can the perfect man have got to this? How could you have betrayed me to this point? How could you have brought these strangers into my bedroom?”
Continuing, Ms. Pelicot stated: “The profile of a rapist is not someone met in a car-park late at night. A rapist can also be in the family, among our friends.
“When I saw one of the accused on the stand last week who came into my bedroom and house without consentment.
“This man, who came to rape an unconscious, 57-year-old woman – I am also a mother and grandmother … I could have been his grandmother. I am a woman who is totally destroyed, and don’t know how I can pick myself up from this.”
Among those on trial, 49 face rape charges, with one accused of attempted rape and another of sexual assault.
The defendants, ranging in age from 26 to 74, largely deny the accusations, although one shockingly admitted he thought she was deceased during the encounter.
Some claimed they believed they were participating in a consensual game with Mr. and Ms. Pelicot, while a few acknowledged the charges but denied intending to rape Pelicot. If convicted, these men could face up to 20 years in prison.
The trial proceedings are expected to continue until the year’s end.
If you have been impacted by the issues discussed in this article, you can reach out to The National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673), which is available 24/7. Alternatively, you can chat online at online.rainn.org.