The ex-wife of a French man on trial for allegedly orchestrating her rape by strangers while she was drugged has spoken out, saying she feels humiliated by the proceedings. She accused some defense lawyers of implying she had been complicit in the assaults.
At the trial of her ex-husband and 50 other men for rape on Wednesday, Gisele Pelicot shared her distress, stating, "from the moment I stepped into this courtroom, I have felt humiliated.
"I've been labeled an alcoholic and accused of being so intoxicated that I became an accomplice to Mr. Pelicot," she continued.
Man accused of enlisting strangers to rape drugged wife goes on trial in France
Dominique Pelicot, 71, has confessed to drugging his then-wife with sedatives to render her unconscious, allowing him and dozens of strangers to rape her for nearly a decade.
The mass trial, which began on 2 September in Avignon, has shocked and horrified France.
Women's rights advocates hope the case will ignite change in a country they argue is deeply rooted in sexism and casual misogyny, where only six percent of reported rape cases lead to prosecution.
Dominique Pelicot admits to rape, acknowledges decade-long sexual abuse of wife
'Rape is rape'
"I was in a comatose state and the videos that will be shown will prove this," she said.
"I never, even for a single second, gave my consent to Mr Pelicot or those other men" who are also on trial, she said, accusing them of giving the impression that she was "the guilty party and those 50 men victims".
Gisele Pelicot said she was reacting to remarks by Guillaume De Palma – one of the lawyers for the defence – who told the court that "there's rape and there's rape" in a possible attempt to back up some of the men's claim that they assumed they were participating in a libertine couple's sex game.
Rallies across France in support of woman who was drugged, raped
"No, there are no different types of rape," she said. "Rape is rape".
The lawyer subsequently apologised to her, saying he had wanted to distinguish the legal definition of rape from the "media" definition.
"I am sorry that these remarks hurt and shocked you," he said.
(with AFP)
