Mass Rape Survivor Cites ‘Humiliation’ In French Trial, Denies Claims Of Complicity

Gisele Pelicot, the ex-wife of a French man accused of orchestrating her repeated rape by dozens of strangers while she was drugged, expressed feelings of humiliation during her former husband’s trial on Wednesday. She accused some defence lawyers of suggesting that she was complicit in the abuse.

“Since setting foot in this courtroom, I have felt humiliated,” Gisele Pelicot told the court, where her former husband, Dominique Pelicot, and 50 other men are facing charges of rape. “I’m being portrayed as an alcoholic, as someone who gets intoxicated to the point of becoming Mr. Pelicot’s accomplice.”

Dominique Pelicot, 71, has admitted to drugging his then-wife with sedatives to render her unconscious, allowing himself and numerous strangers to repeatedly rape her over a period of nearly ten years.

“I was in a comatose state, and the videos that will be shown will prove this,” she testified. “I never, even for a single second, gave my consent to Mr. Pelicot or the other men.”

She also accused some of the defendants of attempting to paint her as the “guilty party” while positioning the 50 men on trial as victims. Her comments were directed at defence lawyer Paul-Roger Gontard, who earlier suggested that there were different kinds of rape, potentially supporting claims by some of the accused that they believed they were engaging in consensual activity with a libertine couple.

“No, there are no different types of rape,” Gisele Pelicot firmly responded. “Rape is rape.”

Following her statement, Gontard apologised, saying his remarks were intended to distinguish the legal definition of rape from what he termed the “media” definition. “I am sorry that these remarks hurt and shocked you,” he added.

The trial continues as Gisele Pelicot seeks justice for the years of abuse she endured.