In a harrowing trial in the southern French city of Avignon, a court on Friday publicly screened videos showing the abuse of Gisele Pelicot, who was drugged by her husband and raped by dozens of strangers over several years.
Warning: Distressing content
The footage, presented in both the courtroom and an adjacent public chamber, challenged the testimonies of several co-defendants who claimed they were unaware she was unconscious during the assaults.
The trial involves 50 men accused of participating in or attempting to rape Gisele Pelicot at the invitation of her now ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, who has admitted to drugging her and orchestrating the crimes from 2011 to 2020.
Despite the disturbing nature of the evidence, Gisele Pelicot insisted on the trial being open to the public to shed light on the use of drugs in sexual abuse.
Judge Roger Arata reversed an earlier decision to restrict the screenings, allowing the videos to be shown to refute claims that the defendants believed they were participating in consensual acts.
While some of the accused maintained their defense, others expressed shock or claimed memory loss after seeing the footage.
The trial has sparked widespread praise for Gisele Pelicot’s courage and has made her a symbol of resilience in the fight against sexual violence in France. The proceedings are expected to continue until December.
Pure evil.
This is not a man, this is a reptile wearing human skin.
Put him out of OUR misery.