Sexual assault under the influence of drugs in France: Gisele Pelicot has become a symbol in the fight against sexual violence

CONTENT WARNING: This story contains descriptions of alleged sexual violence. Reader discretion is advised.

PARIS, France – Gisèle Pélicot, the woman who was allegedly drugged by her now ex-husband over a period of 10 years so that she could be raped by dozens of men while unconscious, is becoming a symbol of France's fight against sexual violence.

There were calls for public gatherings across the country on Saturday, including at the Place de la République in Paris, to support the 71-year-old and all rape victims in France.

Since the start of the extraordinary trial on September 2, during which Pélicot will face 51 of her alleged rapists, she has been praised for her courage and composure.

First, there was her decision to make the trial public – after the court had initially proposed holding it behind closed doors. She allowed journalists to use her full name and the court to show explicit videos taken by her husband showing men having sex with her naked, motionless body.

She explained that she made her decision out of solidarity with other women whose victims of sexual crimes were not recognized.

On September 5, she spoke publicly about her ordeal for the first time since police officers called her four years ago and told her the unthinkable. In a calm and clear voice, she described the horror of discovering that her former husband had sedated her and invited at least 72 strangers to his home in Provence to have sex with her.

“For me, everything is falling apart,” she said. “These are scenes of barbarism, of rape.”

National broadcaster TF1 described her that day as a “dignified, strong” woman who “held her head high”.

In an open letter translated into English and published in the French daily Le Monde, journalist and author Hélène Devynck thanked Pélicot for her courage, echoing the feelings of many other French people.

“You entered our lives as you entered the courtyard of Avignon, through the front door,” wrote Devynck, a figure in the French #MeToo movement. “They didn't just treat you, Gisèle, like a thing. They told us, all of us women, how insignificant we are. Your strength gives us strength again. Thank you for this immense gift.”

Next week, Gisèle Pélicot will have another hurdle to overcome: she will have to face the man she has lived with for over 50 years and who is the father of her three children. Her lawyer has announced that she will be present at his testimony.

Dominique Pélicot has already confessed to the crimes to investigators. But his trial will be crucial in allowing the panel of judges to decide the fate of the 50 other men accused of rape.

The majority of the accused deny the accusation of “rape”. Some claimed they believed the husband's consent to sexual intercourse was sufficient, others said they were tricked by Dominique Pélicot into believing his wife had consented.

A lawyer representing six defendants shocked the nation by claiming: “There is rape and there is rape, but without intent there is no rape.”

Magali Lafourcade, judge and general secretary of the National Advisory Commission for Human Rights, also praised Gisèle Pélicot. She stressed that studies show that in France, nine out of ten women who are victims of rape do not report it. And if they do, around 80% of the cases are dropped.

Dominique Pélicot has been unable to attend the trial since Wednesday for health reasons. He is expected to testify on Monday or Tuesday, said his lawyer Béatrice Zavarro. When asked whether her client was trying to avoid testifying, Zavarro said on Friday that he had been “waiting for his trial, he wanted to talk and be confronted with his wife and children.”

Dominique Pélicot, now 71, and the 50 other defendants face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.