The first day Gisèle Pelicot walked up the steps of the courthouse in Avignon in September 2024, she was an anonymous retired grandmother. Within weeks, this diminutive 72-year-old - the victim at the centre of the largest rape trial in French history, involving 51 men including her husband - had become a feminist icon. She was last seen in public when the verdicts - all guilty - were handed down in December. By then, crowds of supporters were chanting her name.
On Monday Gisèle Pelicot returns to court, this time in Nîmes, for the appeal of Husamettin Dogan, 44, the only defendant to challenge his conviction. Between September and December last year, Gisèle's bleak story travelled the world. For over a decade, she was drugged unconscious by her husband and raped by dozens of men he had recruited through chat rooms. Her husband filmed the assaults, which allowed investigators to track most of them down.
After a 16-week trial, 46 men were found guilty of rape, with Dominique Pelicot receiving the maximum sentence. Dogan's appeal is essentially a retrial, with the original videos set to be shown again. Gisèle hopes to attend as a witness, marking her continued resolve to be present in the pursuit of justice.
Dogan’s defence argues he did not know Gisèle would be unconscious, but she and her supporters firmly reject this claim. Despite massive media attention and her newfound status as an activist, the personal cost has been high. Reports of family fractures emerged, with her children feeling isolated in the aftermath of the trial. Her daughter Caroline alleged incest against their father, leading to a profound split in the family.
As Gisele prepares for the next court session, the dynamics of her family have irrevocably changed. Still, Gisèle Pelicot remains a figure of resilience, continuing to inspire many through her fight for justice and change in attitudes towards sexual violence.
On Monday Gisèle Pelicot returns to court, this time in Nîmes, for the appeal of Husamettin Dogan, 44, the only defendant to challenge his conviction. Between September and December last year, Gisèle's bleak story travelled the world. For over a decade, she was drugged unconscious by her husband and raped by dozens of men he had recruited through chat rooms. Her husband filmed the assaults, which allowed investigators to track most of them down.
After a 16-week trial, 46 men were found guilty of rape, with Dominique Pelicot receiving the maximum sentence. Dogan's appeal is essentially a retrial, with the original videos set to be shown again. Gisèle hopes to attend as a witness, marking her continued resolve to be present in the pursuit of justice.
Dogan’s defence argues he did not know Gisèle would be unconscious, but she and her supporters firmly reject this claim. Despite massive media attention and her newfound status as an activist, the personal cost has been high. Reports of family fractures emerged, with her children feeling isolated in the aftermath of the trial. Her daughter Caroline alleged incest against their father, leading to a profound split in the family.
As Gisele prepares for the next court session, the dynamics of her family have irrevocably changed. Still, Gisèle Pelicot remains a figure of resilience, continuing to inspire many through her fight for justice and change in attitudes towards sexual violence.
