Content warning: This article includes mentions of sexual assault.
With March being Women’s History Month, we honour women around the world who have made strides to end violence against women and gender-based discrimination. Young women are heavily leading the fight for fair treatment under the law and in the household, however, we must acknowledge the work of older women that can go unrecognized. Gisèle Pelicot, 72, is one of these women.
From Marzan, France, Gisèle was featured on the Financial Times’ Most Influential Women of 2024 and the BBC’s list of 100 Women of the Year. Throughout 2024, she received resounding support for her bravery as the plaintiff during mass rape trials. Over the course of nine years from 2011 to 2020, Gisèle was drugged by her now ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, who recruited dozens of men to rape Gisèle while she was unconscious. Dominique did this by crushing sleeping and anti-anxiety medication and mixing it into Gisèle’s food. Oftentimes, Dominique would film the rapes.
Although police believe 72 men raped Gisèlet in her home, not all were identified, and instead, 51 men were convicted including Dominique. The defendants’ ages ranged from 26 to 74 and their occupations included journalists, truck drivers, firefighters, soldiers, and many more. For some, this was their first conviction. Others had a criminal history such as rape, domestic violence, sexual assault of children, or possession of child-abuse material.
Throughout the trial, Gisèle showed an unprecedented level of bravery and openness towards the assaults committed against her. She waived her right to anonymity and successfully pushed for all testimonies and video evidence to be heard in an open court. In France and around the world, survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence often use their right to anonymity. Gisèle chose to go against this norm to change the way that sexual assault is viewed and dealt with. Rather than calling it bravery, she said “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. This is not just my battle, but that of all rape victims.”
The trial served as a moment for Gisèle to empower women across France and around the world who are survivors of sexual assault or other forms of abuse. Through pointing shame at the abuser rather than the survivor, Gisèle showed that shame is a major aspect of sexual violence, however, the survivor must be removed from it in order to make progress in ending violence against women. “When you’re raped there is a shame, and it’s not for us to have shame, it’s for them,” said Gisèle.
The court gave 72-year-old Dominique Pelicot a sentence of the requested 20 years in prison including another conviction for taking and distributing indecent images of his daughter and daughter-in-law. 46 other co-defendants were given convictions of rape, two were convicted of attempted rape, and two guilty of sexual assault. Although prosecutors asked for sentences of four to 18 years, these men were sentenced to between three to 15 years in prison.
Finally, Gisèle looked to uncover the truth about rape culture and other forms of abuse. Although it is commonly believed that rapes mostly occur in dark alleyways by unknown perpetrators, the majority of sexual assaults that occur are committed by someone that the survivor knows. They could be family members, co-workers, classmates, or partners. This case shows how common rape is, not only in its occurrence, but also the identity of the perpetrator. Gisèle showed that rather than disassociating from the survivor and perpetrator, we must recognize that rape is common, it can affect anyone, and is committed by unassuming people.
Today, Gisèle’s case will serve as an important step in ending violence against women. Through her determination, she demonstrated that narratives can be changed and people can make a difference in this world.
