'Broken' Gisèle Pelicot tells mass rape trial, 'It's not us who should feel shame – but them'

Gisèle Pelicot, whose ex-husband and dozens of other men are on trial in France accused of raping her, said Wednesday she was "completely broken" by her ordeal, but also "determined" to help other women.

Gisèle Pelicot, the 72-year-old victim of mass rape whose ordeal has shocked the world, told a trial in southern France on Wednesday that she was determined that making her case public should help other women and change society.

Dominique Pelicot, her husband, has admitted to inviting dozens of strangers over nearly ten years to their house to rape her after he had drugged her. Fifty other men also stand trial, accused of raping her.

Gisèle Pelicot, her voice often shaking with emotion, told the court she was destroyed by what happened to her. She said how “unbelievably violent” it was for her that many of the accused in the trial, which started on September 2, said they thought she agreed to the rapes or was faking sleeping.

“I’ve decided not to be ashamed, I’ve done nothing wrong,” Gisèle Pelicot, who has become a symbol of the fight against sexual violence, told the court in Avignon.

Read morePelicot trial: French court hears how mass rape went undetected for years

She said she had insisted the trial be held publicly, and not behind closed doors, as is often the case to protect rape victims, in the hope it would help other rape victims.

Some have apologised.


Read more on FRANCE 24 English

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