Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual assault and rape which some readers may find distressing.
Gisèle Pelicot has announced her intention to visit her ex-husband in prison, driven by a need to ask him a vital question.
The Pelicot family name garnered global attention when Gisèle chose to reveal her identity during her husband’s trial for grave offenses.
Dominique Pelicot, her ex-husband, was accused of drugging and sexually assaulting Gisèle over a span of years from 2011 to 2020. Additionally, he allowed more than 50 other men to assault her while she was incapacitated.
The authorities arrested Dominique in 2020 for voyeuristically filming beneath women’s skirts in a supermarket, which subsequently led to the discovery of his heinous acts, all meticulously recorded by him.
Gisèle, unaware of the ongoing abuse at the time, shared her thoughts on the shocking revelation of her husband’s crimes.
In her inaugural television appearance, Gisèle recounted her initial reaction of paralysis upon viewing the incriminating images and footage during an investigation.
On France 5, she expressed: “I don’t recognize myself in those photos. I said, ‘That’s not me’. Then I put on my glasses, and there I discovered this lifeless woman with a man she didn’t know on her bed.
“I think my brain disassociated.”
By December 2024, Dominique had been convicted of aggravated rape. He was also charged with attempted aggravated rape and for capturing inappropriate images of his daughter, Caroline, along with his daughters-in-law.
Dominique faces a 20-year prison sentence for his offenses.
Though she refrained from speaking to her ex-husband in court, Gisèle revealed she has a question she still needs to pose to him.
She remarked: “I want to look him directly in the eye and ask him, ‘Why did you do that?’’
She also mentioned her intention to visit her ex-husband in prison as a step in her healing journey.
As she prepares for the release of her memoir, A Hymn to Life: Shame Has to Change Sides, Gisèle expressed satisfaction in helping shift the conversation on sexual violence both in France and globally.
Discussing her choice to forego anonymity, Gisele explained it was an act of solidarity with countless women who remain unrecognized victims of such crimes.
She had earlier stated in court: “I have decided not to be ashamed, I have done nothing wrong. They are the ones who must be ashamed.
“I’m not expressing hatred or hate, but I am determined that things change in this society.”
If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org