Trial Of Cowardice: French Mass Rape Survivor Makes Powerful Testimony

Gisèle Pelicot, a 72-year-old French woman, is testifying against her husband, Dominique Pelicot, for repeatedly drugging and allowing at least 50 men to rape her over nine years. In a moving testimony on November 19, she said in the Avignon court, "For me, this is the trial of cowardice, there is no other way to describe it." The trial heads towards delivering its verdicts around December 20, CNN reported. 

Pelicot insisted on the trial, which began on September 2, being held in public as she hoped that it could change society and expose rape culture. "I hear lots of women, and men, who say you’re very brave. I say it’s not bravery, it’s will and determination to change society," she said in an October 23 trial.

Gisèle's Testimony

As many as 50 men, whom Dominique allowed to rape Gisèle, are on trial. However, many of the accused claimed that they believed that Dominique tricked them into thinking they were part of a 'sex game' between the husband and wife. Gisèle said in court, "Rape is rape. When you walk into a bedroom and see a motionless body, at what point (do you decide) not to react? Why did you not leave immediately to report it to the police?”

Condemning rape culture, Gisèle said, "It is time for society to look at this macho, patriarchal society and change the way it looks at rape." She also added that she would never forgive him. Her two sons asked the court to punish Dominique severely and said that he was dead to them. In another shocking revelation, Gisèle's daughter, Caroline Darian, believes that she was also drugged and abused by her father.

Caroline Darian Abuse

According to the Guardian, partially naked photos of Caroline Darian were found on her father Dominique's laptop. She recalled that she did not recognise herself when she first saw the disturbing photos. "I thought she was astonishingly pale and with dark circles under her eyes... The sheets reminded me vaguely of something but nothing more. I repeated that I didn’t recognise myself. 'No, it’s not me,' I said.”

It was only when the police showed her the brown mole on her cheek in the photo that Caroline realised that it could be her in the photos. "How could he have photographed me in the middle of the night without waking me? Did he also drug me? Worse still, did he abuse me?”

The photos were allegedly found under a file called 'My naked daughter'. Dominique claimed in court on November 18, "I have watched her fall apart... Caroline, I never touched you," to which Caroline reacted, "You are lying; I am sick of your lies, you're alone in your lie, you will die lying."

Caroline's book, Et j’ai cessé de t’appeler papa (And I stopped calling you father), which will be published in English in December, describes how she became increasingly tormented by the idea she was another survivor of her father’s “perversity”.

Gisèle's Message For All Survivors

Gisèle has become a feminist hero since the case came to light as she courageously shares her story and seeks justice. During each trial, her supporters standing outside the court greet her with cheers and signboards reading, 'Gisèle, women thank you' The public hopes that this case would change attitudes to sex crimes and consent and tighten rape laws in the country.

In an October 23 trial, Gisèle expressed that she wants to lift the shame felt by rape survivors “I wanted all survivors of rape – not just when they have been drugged, rape exists at all levels – I want those survivors to say, 'Mrs Pelicot did it, we can do it too.' When you’re raped there is shame, and it’s not for us to have shame, it’s for them.”

Gisèle continued, "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. We have to progress on rape culture in society … People should learn the definition of rape.” 

Gisèle Exposes Devastating Details Of Rape 

Addressing her ex-husband, without turning her head to look towards him, Gisèle expressed in court, "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? I always tried to lift you higher, you who plumbed the depths of the human soul, but you made your own choices.”

When asked whether she had suspected that her food was being laced with sedatives, Gisèle responded, “He made a lot of meals. I saw that as him being attentive. I know that one night he came to collect me at Avignon station after 10 days with my grandchildren. He had already prepared the meal – mashed potato. Two plates were already in the oven. I put olive oil on my potatoes and he put butter, so it was easy to see which plate was his.”

The mom-of-three and grandmother continued, "We would have a glass of white wine together. I never found anything strange about my potatoes. We finished eating. Often when it’s a football match on TV, I’d let him watch it alone. He brought my ice cream to my bed, where I was, my favourite flavour, raspberry. And I thought, how lucky I am, he’s a love.”

“I never felt my heart flutter, I didn’t feel anything, I must have gone under very quickly. I would wake up with my pyjamas on. In the mornings, I must have been more tired than usual, but I walk a lot and thought it was that.”

The Unimaginable Truth Uncovered

For years, Gisèle Pélicot, the survivor, exhibited signs that baffled her family and friends. Her deteriorating health, marked by weight loss, hair loss, and memory lapses, led those around her to fear that she was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Her symptoms were so severe that she would sometimes forget entire days or enter dreamlike trances, leaving her loved ones deeply concerned.

In late 2020, the horrifying truth came to light when she was summoned to a police station in southern France. It was there that she learned the unimaginable: her husband of 50 years, Dominique Pélicot, had been drugging her with sleeping pills, rendering her unconscious, and then sexually assaulting her. But the horror didn’t end there. He had also invited dozens of men into their home to rape her, filming the assaults, in a nightmare that spanned nearly a decade, as reported by The New York Times.

The details of the abuse are chilling. Dominique had been crushing sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medication into his wife’s food and drink, ensuring she was in a deep, almost comatose state. He then used an online chatroom called 'without her knowing' to ‘recruit men’ who shared fantasies of performing sexual acts on non-consenting partners. These men were instructed to avoid any scents, such as perfume or cigarette smoke, and to leave immediately if Gisèle moved even slightly, to avoid arousing suspicion.

Speaking at the recent trial, Gisèle said, "He took me to a neurologist, to scanners when I was worried. He also went with me to the gynaecologist. For me, he was someone I trusted entirely.” She said to Dominique Pelicot in court: “So many times, I said to myself how lucky am I to have you at my side.”

The survivor said she had also noticed gynaecological problems, which he had also supported her through. “I consulted three gynaecologists. Several times I had woken up and felt like I had lost my waters – as happens when you give birth.” She also recalled a time she Dominique insisted on joining her for a hairdressing appointment when had what seemed like a blackout and did not remember the haircut or styling.

The evidence against Dominique Pélicot was overwhelming. A security guard caught him filming up women’s skirts in a supermarket, which led to his arrest on November 2, 2020. A subsequent search of his home uncovered a USB drive labelled "abuses," containing 20,000 images and videos of his wife being raped nearly 100 times. Since his arrest, Pélicot has confessed to his crimes, stating, “I put her to sleep, I offered her, and I filmed”, as reported by The Guardian.

A Case That Shook a Nation

The trial, which began on September 2 in Avignon, has drawn significant attention, not only because of the nature of the crimes but also because of the sheer number of accused individuals. The 50 men on trial, including Dominique Pélicot, represent a cross-section of French society—truck drivers, soldiers, carpenters, nurses, and even a local journalist. They range in age from 26 to 74, and many have families of their own.

Dominique Pélicot, now 71, is facing additional charges, including the rape and murder of a 23-year-old estate agent in Paris in 1991, as well as the attempted rape of another estate agent who managed to escape. The trial is expected to last four months, and if convicted, the accused could face up to 20 years in prison.

Gisèle Pélicot said she was testifying “for all women” who had been assaulted while drugged and to ensure “no woman suffers this." For this reason, she has waived her right to anonymity for the trial to be held in public, with the support of her three adult children. 

'I Am A Rapist': Husband Admits Inviting 72 Men To Rape His Wife 

Earlier in October 2024, Dominique Pelicot confessed to all allegations in his initial testimony. Pelicot, in reference to the 50 co-defendants accused of raping his now ex-wife Gisèle, stated, "I am a rapist like the others in this room. They all knew; they cannot say the contrary.” He further added about his ex-wife, saying, "She did not deserve this. I was very happy with her," he told the court.

Pelicot opened the proceedings by telling the court about his horrible childhood experiences, including being assaulted by a male nurse when he was nine. When questioned about his marriage to Gisèle, Pelicot revealed that he had contemplated suicide upon discovering her affair.

During his testimony on the morning of August 17, Pelicot frequently emphasised to the court that he never "hated" his wife and was instead "crazy about [her]... I loved her immensely and I still do." He added, "I loved her well for 40 years and badly for 10," seemingly referencing the decade during which he drugged and abused her. 

This disturbing case, as a trial unfolded in Avignon involving 50 men accused of prolonged sexual abuse of a woman over nearly a decade. This harrowing case has not only shocked the nation but has also ignited widespread discussions about sexual crimes, rape culture and its broader societal implications.

Gisèle Pélicot's Ordeal

Gisèle told the court on September 5 that she “was sacrificed on the altar of vice” and treated “like a rag doll” for decades. The 72-year-old said that the police "saved my life" when they investigated her husband, Dominique Pélicot’s, computer in 2020. When her husband's horrific crimes against her came to light she said, "My world fell apart. For me, everything was falling apart. Everything I had built up over 50 years.”

“When you see that woman drugged, mistreated, a dead person on a bed – of course, the body is not cold, it’s warm, but it’s as if I’m dead," Gisèle told the court, adding that 'rape' was not a "strong enough word", it was torture. She told the judges that she had only found the courage to watch the footage in May 2024. “Frankly, these are scenes of horror for me."

A Public Trial Amidst Calls for Privacy

The decision to hold the trial in public has been a significant point of contention. The public prosecutor and defence lawyers argued for a closed trial to protect the dignity of both the survivor and the defendants, citing the extreme violence depicted in the photographs and videos that would be presented as evidence. However, Gisèle Pélicot’s lawyers successfully argued against this, emphasizing her desire for transparency and justice. Gisèle, supported by her three children, arrived at the courthouse determined to see the trial through, despite the trauma it would inevitably bring.