Gisele Pelicot: The French Woman Bravely Standing Up To Her 72 Rapists

When Gisele Pelicot walked out of court, there were strangers lined up waiting to hand her bouquets of flowers. This moving scene didn’t happen just once or twice, it happened most days during Gisele’s ongoing trial against her sexual abusers.

Gisele's story starts in 2020, in the small French town of Mazan, when Gisele became aware of some odd short-memory loss, weight loss, and hair loss. She went to the doctor worried she had a brain tumor or was developing dementia, but they struggled to pinpoint what could be going on. All her questions were answered, however, when her husband of 50 years with whom she shares three children, Dominique Pelicot, came under investigation for inappropriate sexual behavior at a grocery store. Gisele talked to the police in defense of her husband’s character, and that was when the police showed Gisele evidence of what later explained the gaps in her memory. It turned out that, during the police investigation, authorities found recordings of Gisele being raped while unconscious in her own bed, drugged with sleeping pills slipped to her by her own husband. These videos were recorded by Dominique for around 10 years, and it was discovered that Dominque had an account on a now-defunct website on which he would make contact with various men who would later come to the Pelicots’ home and rape Gisele. According to the recordings, 72 men raped Gisele, and so far only 51 of them have been identified and are currently facing trial. 

There are no words to explain what Gisele must have felt when she realized that this was her reality. In the midst of the whirlwind of emotions Gisele must have experienced, this was certainly the day when Gisele went from being a married retiree with a loving family and some fun hobbies to becoming a resolute warrior. Gisele and Dominique are now divorced, and Gisele has done her time dealing with the shock and pain caused by the trauma. Still, four years later, she shares that it has taken everything in her to keep going. But Gisele is determined not to let this tragedy go in vain. She waived her rights to privacy, insisted on a public trial, and even allowed videos of her abuse to be played in court in the hope that this courage and transparency would encourage other sexual abuse victims to seek justice. Her journey is still ongoing, but Gisele has opened the doors to important conversations about the legalities of rape, sexual abuse in marriage, and the contrast of being a victim vs. the narratives of victimhood. Because while Gisele is the victim of a terrible crime, she is not pitying herself, but shifting the feelings of shame and powerlessness to her abusers. 

Gisele Won’t Cave to the Sense of Shame

This refusal to carry the shame is apparent in how Gisele shows up in court impeccably dressed. Gisele’s looks create a sharp contrast between her and her abusers, some of whom have arrived at court with face masks in a humiliating attempt to hide their identities. The scene makes one wonder if Nathaniel Hawthorne could’ve ever imagined that the roles would be changed, and today it is the men who wear the Scarlet Letter. 

Talking about looks may seem vain in this context, but there is no denying that Gisele’s beautiful style in court speaks for itself. Gisele’s now iconic auburn bob and stylish outfits are a reminder to everyone of her innate beauty and worth. I vividly recall talking with a sexual abuse victim about how after her abuse she started dressing as tomboyish as she could, because she did not want to be perceived as attractive. This is a fairly common consequence of sexual abuse. Victims tend to try to go unnoticed or make themselves as unattractive as possible in an attempt to feel safe. Gisele’s willingness to embrace her beauty and not hide speaks volumes to sexual assault victims still trying to regain their strength.

Sexual crimes often go unreported. In my years working at a pregnancy clinic, I’ve seen many abortions cover the evidence of rape, even though rape cases constitute only about 1% of abortions. And many women choose to pretend nothing happened, some even go back to the perpetrator. Why? It may seem simple to an outsider to say that the right thing is to stand up and sue them, but the reality is that when someone violates your innate right to be respected, your sense of worth plummets, and many victims find themselves unable to cope. “Sense” is the key word here, because our actual worth never plummets, it is only our perception of it that is affected. Even more than the sense of worth, your sense of justice, righteousness, and goodness in the world is attacked, and it is in this act that the evil of sexual abuse overwhelms its victim. 

The challenges of a sexual abuse trial are overwhelming enough to make many victims not want to even try. A friend of mine once walked into a police station to report her own sexual abuse and quickly walked away when she realized she’d have to recount the experience in detail. This is the sad but common reality of sexual abuse cases, but Gisele Pelicot made herself an exception, taking it on with full strength with the hopes that many other victims will have the courage to follow. 

We are all grateful she has stood strong and faced her now ex-husband and fellow abusers in court, because in doing so, Gisele has shown them and the rest of the world that she doesn’t carry the shame of what happened – they do. It is this clear shift in blame that has made this trial so important, but this has been no easy task. Some of Gisele’s abusers, such as her ex-husband, have taken full responsibility for their actions, but the majority are still trying to defend themselves and blame the tragedy on something or someone else, even on Gisele herself. In one poignant moment during the trial, the lawyer for one of the abusers asked Gisele if she had any sort of odd or kinky sexual tendencies, to which she answered, “I’m not even going to answer this question, which I find insulting.”

The Important Questions Gisele’s Case Raises

It has been made clear that this trial is not only about Gisele nor about what happened to her, but about the culture of rape, porn, and the commodification of women and sex. You see, when we allow a person to be seen and treated as an object or as a product, we are opening the door for all sorts of abuse. Our society has normalized porn to the point that some defendants argue that the videos recorded by Dominique are simply part of a sexually liberated fantasy and compare this incident with something similar to a hookup after too many drinks. But not even in France, the nation of free nipples and free sex, are people buying this. Nonetheless, this has certainly raised the point of how blurry the line is between what is sexual assault and what has become culturally normalized sexual behavior. And most importantly, the fact that this blurred line is a problem. 

Among the triumphant successes of this trial is the reconsideration of the legal terminology for rape. In many countries, France included, the victim has to verbally say “no” and/or demonstrate some other kind of resistance for the act to be considered rape. Gisele’s case is by all means rape, but it doesn’t quite fit this legal description since she never said “no” or physically resisted sex or being drugged. This case also raises the fact that this was led and organized by her husband. Many of the men who participated have tried to deflect their fault by claiming they believed Gisele was aware and consenting, given that her husband was a participant. Some even claimed they thought this was a game. Dominique himself has told the court that all the men were fully aware and knew what they were doing. 

The fact that Gisele suffered this abuse within the confines of her marriage and home has led to an important and depressing point: Sometimes, rape happens in the marital bed. Gisele wasn’t the kind to hang out in dangerous places with skimpy clothes; instead, she was victimized in the comfort of her home. These kinds of situations are reported the least as there may be an assumption that sex is granted in marriage and one should desire it with their spouse. In some ways, this is the same logic some of the abusers have been using in their defense. It’s a sad truth that you can go from vowing to love and protect to seeing the beloved as an object to be used and abused. 

Another strategy used in the trial is the idea that many of these men, Dominique included, have confessed to sexual addictions and even sexual trauma, and blamed it for the fact that they could not help themselves. While addictions and mental health are very real problems, in hiding behind this, the abusers are claiming the weakening of their will. This is important, as the perpetrators of the crime are seeking their own victimhood, and in doing so, they are trying to escape any, if not all, accountability. Just like the sexual fantasy claim, victimhood is a game we all know too well at this point, so time will tell if it will work for these men. The abusers' sentencing can be significantly reduced due to poor mental health, and in this case, the public is not buying it, but we’ll have to wait and see if the court sustains it. 

What’s Next for Gisele?

Gisele Pelicot has become a symbol of feminism and a role model for sexual abuse victims of all ages and genders, but she has said more than once that she never wanted to be a role model. She had always lived a quiet life and plans to continue doing so. She has thanked the public for their support and specifically for the fact that she has been feeling loved in the midst of her hardship. That is the redemption chapter in Gisele’s story. It was not just one man who hurt her, but a toxic culture that failed to see her as a person filled with dignity and worth. And now, it is in the midst of society’s outpouring of love where Gisele’s story continues. The trial is expected to go until almost Christmas, and the media coverage does not seem to slow down, so stay tuned in support of Gisele and as a participant in the conversations that will hopefully reshape many of society’s wrongs. 

Remaining silent only empowers the oppressors, and Gisele Pelicot refuses to let them prevail. Her remarkable strength in the face of her abusers deserves our full attention. Supporting Gisele means ensuring that her suffering leads to meaningful change and, in particular, a reminder of the value of every human being and the dangers of seeing people as objects. Healing, they say, arises when injustices are addressed and healthier paths are forged, which is precisely what this trial symbolizes. It stands as a testament to the inherent value of every human being and the peril of viewing anyone as worth less than that.