Gisele Pelicot, whose ex-husband and dozens of other men are on trial in France and accused of raping her, has addressed a French court for the second time, stating that while she was “broken” by her ordeal she is “determined” to support other women.
Pelicot spoke on Wednesday at the invitation of presiding Judge Roger Arata and encouraged other women who have been sexually assaulted to come forward.
“I wanted all women who are rape victims to say to themselves ‘Mrs Pelicot did it, so we can do it too’,” she said. “It’s not us who should feel shame, but them [the perpetrators]”, she said, referring to her request from the start that the trial should be open to the public.
The 71-year-old has become a feminist icon in France since the trial of Dominique Pelicot and 50 other men opened last month in the southern French city of Avignon.
The case has sparked horror, protests and a debate about male violence in French society.
“I am a woman who is completely broken,” Gisele Pelicot told the court, adding that she wanted to “change society” in terms of how it deals with sexual assault.
“I don’t know how I’m going to rebuild myself,” she said. “I’m 72 soon and I’m not sure my life will be long enough to recover from this.”
The unprecedented trial is exposing how pornography, chatrooms and men’s disdain for or hazy understanding of consent is fuelling rape culture in France.
Dominique Pelicot filmed much of the abuse against his wife and also took meticulous records of the strangers visiting their home, which subsequently helped police uncover the crimes.
United Arab Emirates Dirham Exchange Rate
