Gisele Pelicot, “drugged by her husband and raped by strangers,” leaves French court to thunderous applause | Trending

What does the video show?

“Dozens of supporters of Frenchwoman Gisele Pelicot, whose ex-husband allegedly abused her by hiring strangers to sexually assault her while under the influence of drugs, applauded her as she left court in Avignon,” Reuters wrote, publishing the video.

“Pelicot's hearing, the centerpiece of one of France's most spectacular criminal trials in recent history, had to be postponed last week due to his poor health,” the outlet added.

Watch the video here:

Reactions on social media:

“Her courage shows how strong women are and how we can hold men accountable for their actions towards our bodies,” commented one Instagram user.

Another person reacted to the video, posting: “The bravest woman. I wish we could do more together to help her get through this nightmare case. Her monstrous attackers need to be brought to justice.”

A third wrote: “She is an absolute fighter and her bravery will save so many. I hope she knows that women all over the world are behind her.”

“What an incredible woman – I hope she can rebuild her life and recover from this horrific trauma,” wrote a fourth.

“I am a rapist”: Dominique Pelicot

The 71-year-old Frenchman is on trial for drugging his wife and inviting strangers to his home to rape his unconscious wife. He has admitted the charges and told the court that he is a rapist.

“I am a rapist, like the others in this room,” Dominique said in the courtroom as he looked at the other 50 defendants, the Guardian reported. He added, “They all knew it,” when speaking of the other men.

“I am guilty of what I have done,” he said in court. “I tell my wife, my children, my grandchildren… I regret what I have done and I ask for forgiveness, even if it is unforgivable.”

A decade of horror

Dominique allegedly committed this gruesome crime against his now estranged wife for nearly ten years. Gisele, who was completely unaware of the assault at the time, also reportedly suffered from serious health problems, including sexually transmitted diseases.

The Frenchman's crime came to light when he was arrested in 2020 for filming women up their skirts. During their investigation, police found evidence of rape on his laptop and eventually informed his wife. Nude pictures of his daughter were also reportedly found on his device.