Gisèle Pelicot slams 'macho' society that 'trivialises rape' in closing statement

NEWS WIRES

19 November 2024 at 6:11 am·1-min read

In her closing statement of the mass rape trial that has sent shockwaves across the country, survivor Gisèle Pelicot said it was time for “macho” society that “trivialises rape” to change. “I’ve lost 10 years of my life that I’ll never make up for,” she added. The trial enters its final stages this week.

Gisèle Pelicot, subjected to mass rape organised by her husband over 10 years, on Tuesday condemned the cowardice of the dozens of men accused of abusing her who claim they didn't realise it was rape, adding that France's patriarchal society must change.

Dominique Pelicot, her husband, has admitted to drugging his wife, 71, and inviting strangers to their house to rape her while she was unconscious, in a trial that has attracted worldwide attention and turned into an examination of the pervasiveness of sexual violence.

Most of the 50 other men on trial have said they did not realise they were raping her, did not intend to rape her or put all the blame on her husband, whom they said had manipulated them.

"For me this is the trial of cowardice, there is no other way to describe it," Gisèle Pelicot said, adding that there was no excuse for abusing her when she was unconscious.

(Reuters)

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