Dozens of men accused of raping woman in France drugged unconscious: NPR

Gisèle Pelicot arrives at the courthouse in Avignon, France, on December 19, 2024, ahead of the verdict being read from the trial of her ex-husband and more than four dozen other men of 50 who were found guilty of aggravated rape against Gisèle Pelicot.

CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU/AFP via Getty Images

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CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU/AFP via Getty Images

AVIGNON, France – A French jury found dozens of men guilty of raping a woman whose husband had drugged her unconscious over the course of a decade.

The five-judge panel first ruled that Gisèle Pelicot’s ex-husband was guilty of aggravated rape and all other charges against him.

“You are therefore declared guilty of aggravated rape of the person of Mme. Gisèle Pelicot,” said Roger Arata, presiding judge of the court, addressing Dominique Pelicot and the first group of men found guilty. A total of 51 men, including Dominique Pelicot, stood trial.

“She is a hero,” added Blandine Deverlanges, leader of the feminist group Les Amazones d’Avignon (Amazons of Avignon). “Kind of a hero because she refused to be silenced. And she wanted her story to be public, and she gave us women a huge gift because she gave us her story, so now it’s our story.

The court’s decision ends a 15-week trial in this southern French city that included detailed descriptions of systematic drug abuse and sexual abuse that sparked a national debate about the treatment of women in society.

Although the crimes took place again and again behind closed doors – unknown even to the victim at the time – the hearings and sentencing took place in front of the world’s news media as she insisted on a public trial, making her a hero to supporters who celebrated her bravery.

She fought for “all the people around the world, women and men, who are victims of sexual violence,” she said.

“This trial has already changed things because lots of women are now holding open trials,” Valentine Rioufol, a feminist from Avignon, said Thursday after the verdicts were read. “Pelicot set a huge example. Women want to open rape cases now. They are no longer afraid to do it. The shame has changed sides.”

During the trial, her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, admitted to the rape charges and testified that he had used sedatives hidden in her food and drink to put her to sleep enough that she would not be awakened.

But many of the accused did not confess, despite videos of their actions being shown on big screens in the courtroom. Police had found thousands of photos and videos on the man’s computer drive that provided prosecutors with evidence of the abuse. Gisèle Pelicot had insisted that such evidence be presented in court.

She became something of a hero to crowds of mostly women who gathered outside the court.

“She gave us an important gift by demanding that this trial be open for the world to see. So we have to be here to support her,” said supporter Chantal Cremont.

There have been other demonstrations of support for the victim, such as a recent demonstration in Paris.

“We are very proud of her because she is very strong and what she did – she is really brave,” said Amélie Chauveau, who took part in the Paris rally in November.

Many French men, meanwhile, have expressed shame. Some used the hashtag #NotAllMen in social media posts to distance themselves from the horrific acts. That worries the journalist Victoire Tuaillon, who hosts a podcast that explores men’s violence.

“Most people think that these men are some kind of monsters, completely different from them, you know? They think that the case doesn’t really concern them, because they think that I would never do that,” said Tuaillon for NPR.

Mathieu Palain, who has written books about men’s violence against women, noted that the case revealed how common the perpetrators could be.

“This terrifying trial shows us that these men are not depraved criminals, but actually ordinary guys who have wives and children and jobs — a baker, a firefighter. They are our brothers, our fathers. And it’s shocking,” Palain said . “It would be easier to say these violent men have nothing to do with us.”