Gisele Pelicot: French victim of mass rape hopes to help others
Gisele Pelicot, the victim of mass rape told a trial in France that she hoped that making her case public would help other women and change society.
Gisele Pelicot, the 72-year-old victim of mass rape whose ordeal has shocked the world, told a trial in southern France on Wednesday that she was determined that making her case public should help other women and change society.
Dominique Pelicot, her husband, has admitted to inviting dozens of strangers over nearly 10 years to their house to rape her after he had drugged her. Fifty other men also stand trial, accused of raping her.
Her voice often shaking with emotion, Gisele Pelicot told the court in Avignon that she was destroyed by what happened to her. She said how “unbelievably violent” it was for her that many of the accused in the trial, which started on Sept.2, said they thought she agreed to the rapes or was faking sleeping.
“I’ve decided not to be ashamed, I’ve done nothing wrong,” Gisele Pelicot, who has become a symbol of the fight against sexual violence, told the court in Avignon.
Pelicot said she had insisted the trial be held publicly, and not behind closed doors, as is often the case to protect rape victims, in the hope it would help other rape victims.
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