The security guard who caught Dominique Pelicot upskirting women at a supermarket, which led to the discovery of his heinous crimes, has recalled the “terror” and “fear” in his eyes.
Thibaut Rey, 38, spotted the serial rapist taking images of three women at the LeClerc shopping centre and confronted him, holding his phone until police arrived to make their arrest.
“Pelicot didn’t resist. He froze with terror. I saw the fear in his eyes,” he said.
French President Emmanuel Macron has praised Pelicot’s wife and mass rape victim Gisèle for her dignity and courage which has “moved and inspired France and around the world”.
It comes as her children condemn the “low” sentences in France’s most shocking rape case which saw 51 men convicted for a total of 428 years.
Ex-husband Dominique Pelicot wept as he was convicted and jailed for the maximum term of 20 years, after he admitted he drugged his wife so he and strangers could abuse her while he filmed it.
Key Points
- Macron says Gisèle Pélicot has ‘moved and inspired’ France and the world
- ‘You will die like a dog’, Dominique Pelicot is told by his daughter
- In full: The names and sentences of all 51 men found guilty
- 51 men sentenced to 428 years in prison
- Court finds 47 guilty of rape, two of attempted rape, two of sexual assault
Gisele Pelicot's Australian supporters are moved that their French heroine wore an Aboriginal scarf
13:56 , Jabed AhmedA group of Gisele Pelicot's Australian admirers have said they're moved that the victim in France's drugging-and-rape case has acknowledged her distant supporters Down Under by wearing a scarf adorned with Aboriginal art.
The 72-year-old who refused to remain an anonymous victim wore the silk scarf several times during the court process in Avignon, including when 51 men were convicted and sentenced to prison for molesting her after she had been drugged by her former husband, Dominique Pelicot.
The scarf was a 220 Australian dollar (£109) gift from a Sydney-based rights advocacy group, Older Women's Network, its chief executive Yumi Lee said.
"We were astounded, absolutely gobsmacked, honored that she accepted our gesture of solidarity," Ms Lee said.
Ms Lee, 59, said her group with 1,000 members across New South Wales state in Australia, who campaign on issues including sexual violence, raised donations to buy the scarf in September when the court case was already underway.
They decided on the gesture because Avignon, 11,000 miles from Sydney, was too distant for most to travel to demonstrate their support in person, Ms Lee said.
Gisele Pelicot "has said that shame has to change sides and she wants all the victims of sexual assault to think that if she can do it, they can too," Ms Lee said.
"She has also proven that sexual assault knows no barriers. Everyone from young to old are victims of sexual assault. So she's busted that myth.”
How a security guard helped Gisèle Pelicot discover her husband was drugging her in campaign of abuse
12:53 , Holly EvansWhen Gisèle Pelicot was called to talk to police in November 2020, she believed it was to discuss the upskirting allegations made against her husband of 50 years.
Referring to him as a “super guy”, she had no awareness that detectives were about to blow apart her seemingly idyllic life with Dominique Pelicot, who she had met at the age of 19.
When he was arrested at a shopping centre two months previously for covertly trying to take pictures up women’s skirts, police had decided to seize his phones and computer.
Read the full article here:
How a security guard helped Gisèle Pelicot discover her husband was drugging her
Who received the longest jail terms in the Gisèle Pelicot rape trial?
12:00 , Holly EvansGisèle Pelicot’s ex-husband Dominique was sentenced for repeatedly drugging and raping his wife for almost a decade, and inviting dozens of strangers to rape her unconscious body
The court found 46 of the other defendants guilty of rape, two guilty of attempted rape and two guilty of sexual assault, handing down sentences of between three and 15 years in jail, less than the four-to-18 years demanded by the prosecution.
Among them is Jean-Pierre Marechal who has been jailed for 12 years after being found guilty of attempted rape and aggravated rape of his wife, as well as drugging her.
He is only one of the 51 who was not accused of raping or attempting to rape Gisèle, but the 63-year-old admitted to following Dominique Pelicot’s lead by drugging his own wife for five years, raping her and inviting Dominique to rape her too.
All the defendants have 10 days to decide whether to appeal, and Dominique Pelicot’s lawyer said he was considering this option.
Donald Trump? No. Gisèle Pelicot is the real Person of the Year
11:12 , Holly Evansisèle Pelicot believes that change is possible. Speaking outside the courtroom in Avignon this morning, where her ex-husband Dominique Pelicot was jailed for 20 years for drugging her and recruiting strangers to rape her, she said she “never regretted” her selfless decision to waive her right to private legal proceedings. She believed it was important for “society to see what is happening”. That visibility, she realised, despite the enormous personal cost, was vital in order for real change to happen. “I do it on behalf of all women,” she has said.
Today, France’s worst-ever mass rape trial saw 51 men convicted for a total of 428 years. Dominique Pelicot was jailed for the maximum term of 20 years, having drugged his wife so he and strangers could abuse and rape her while he filmed it. Police found some 20,000 images of the abuse on his computer, as well as pictures of his daughter and his two daughters-in-law.
In a case that sent shock waves around the world, Gisèle Pelicot emerged as an almost unimaginably courageous symbol of feminist resistance against rape culture. Her insistence that shame must “change sides” has reverberated internationally, challenging deeply misogynistic assumptions about sexual violence in France and far beyond, galvanising feminist movements, inspiring male allies to speak out and, above all, providing solace and strength to fellow survivors.
So great has the impact been, that since Time magazine announced Donald Trump as its Person of the Year, social media has been flooded with posts, mainly created by women, suggesting that the title should have been awarded to Gisèle Pelicot instead.
Read the full analysis here:
Donald Trump? No. Gisèle Pelicot is the real Person of the Year
Security guard who caught Pelicot reveals ‘fear’ in his eyes
10:33 , Holly EvansThe security guard who caught Dominique Pelicot upskirting women at a supermarket, which led to the discovery of his heinous crimes, has recalled the “terror” in his eyes.
Thibaut Rey, 38, had been working at the LeClerc shopping centre on 12 September 2020 when his colleague radioed him to say that Pelicot was acting suspiciously on the shop floor. He realised that the serial rapist had positioned his mobile phone to slyly take pictures of women’s underwear, and confronted him.
“We saw him do this to three women, and he was obviously pretty good at it. It didn’t look like the first time he had done it,” he told the Daily Mail.
After a short while, M.Rey confronted Pelicot as he was filming a woman, grabbed his phone and held him until police came to make their arrest.
“I told her: ‘If you don’t press charges, he will just go home and do this again.’ I was thinking of my mother and sister, who shop here, so it got a bit personal,” he said. “Pelicot didn’t resist. He froze with terror. I saw the fear in his eyes.”
Pelicot’s wife Gisèle, who was drugged repeatedly while her husband allowed other men to rape her, has met with M.Rey to thank him, and the guard has now been awarded France’s highest commendation, the Legion d’Honneur.
“My mother tells me every morning that I’m a hero, but for me the only satisfaction is that Madame Pelicot’s Calvary has come to an end, and that I may have helped to stop it,” he reflects.
How Gisèle Pelicot shamed ‘Mr Everyman’ during the rape trial which shocked the world
10:17 , Holly EvansSitting across a courtroom from the husband who drugged and raped her for a decade, along with the 50 other men he invited to join in the attacks, Gisèle Pelicot was the epitome of dignity.
After bravely choosing to waive her right to anonymity, the grandmother has looked each of her rapists in the eye during a gruelling three-month public trial which horrified the world.
The 72-year-old’s remarkable courage in the face of unfathomable abuse and her simple message – that she and other victims of sexual crimes have no reason to feel ashamed – has inspired conversations about rape culture across the globe as she became a symbol of the struggle against sexual violence.
Read the full article here:
How Gisèle Pelicot shamed ‘Mr Everyman’ during the rape trial which shocked the world
Every word of Gisele Pelicot’s statement outside courtroom
09:32 , Holly EvansDominique Pelicot has been found guilty by a French court of repeatedly drugging and raping his wife for almost a decade, and inviting dozens of strangers to rape her unconscious body in a case that has horrified the world.
All of Pelicot’s 50 co-defendants were also found guilty of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault, while their victim, Gisèle Pelicot, sat in the packed courtroom to hear the sentencing, having waived her right to anonymity.
Gisèle, 72, has become a symbol of female courage and resilience during the three-month trial and crowds of supporters outside the courthouse in the southern city of Avignon cheered as she appeared after the verdicts had been read out.
Read the full article here:
Every word of Gisele Pelicot’s statement after 51 men sentenced for abusing her
Macron says Gisèle Pélicot has ‘moved and inspired’ France and the world
08:55 , Holly EvansFrench President Emmanuel Macron has praised Gisèle Pélicot for her dignity and courage, and thanked her following her husband’s trial, which has shocked the world.
In a post on social media, he wrote: “Thank you Gisèle Pélicot.
“For this word of justice in the name of which you faced the ordeal with your head held high. For women, who forever have a scout to speak and fight for.
“For all of us, because your dignity and your courage have moved and inspired France and the world.”
Merci Gisèle Pélicot.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) December 20, 2024
Pour ce mot de justice au nom duquel vous avez affronté l’épreuve tête haute.
Pour les femmes, qui ont pour toujours une éclaireuse pour parler et lutter.
Pour nous tous, car votre dignité et votre courage ont ému et inspiré la France et le monde. pic.twitter.com/6203dON8t4
Jess Phillips MP says Gisèle Pelicot to ‘change the world'
08:32 , Holly EvansGisèle Pelicot will change the world, the UK’s minister for stopping violence against women and girls has said.
Speaking to The Mirror, Jess Phillips said the 72-year-old deserved “every award” after bravely waiving her anonymity to expose her husband’s crimes.
“The Gisèle Pelicot court case has made the world stand still with horror and respect for her,” she said.
“I think that Gisèle Pelicot deserves every award that could possibly ever be given to her, not because of just her bravery, but because I think her story is going to change the world.”
“Absolutely we will take learnings from the Gisèle Pelicot case. I imagine that’s the same around the world.”
Youngest man to rape Giséle Pelicot committed the horrific crime on the day his daughter was born
06:56 , Barney DavisThe youngest man to rape Giséle Pelicot after her predator ex-husband drugged her did so on the day his first daughter was born.
Joan Kawai, who has been jailed for 10 years, was just 23 when he visited Ms Pelicot’s family home in southern France to abuse her five years ago.
The former French conscript was among 47 men, including Ms Pelicot’s former husband Dominique Pelicot, convicted of rape at a packed French courthouse on Thursday.
Youngest man to rape Giséle Pelicot committed the crime on day his daughter was born
‘How much dignity’ - Spanish prime minister
06:00 , Barney DavisSpanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez has commended the “dignity” of Gisèle Pelicot.
“How much dignity. Thank you, Gisèle Pelicot. Let shame change sides,” he said in a post on X.
Cuánta dignidad. Gracias, Gisèle Pelicot.
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) December 19, 2024
Que la vergüenza cambie de bando. pic.twitter.com/rMcMSuEpZv
Watch: Celebration outside French court as guilty verdicts announced in Gisele Pelicot mass rape case
05:03 , Barney DavisGisèle Pelicot was cheered as she left with her family and flanked by police
04:00 , Barney DavisSupporters shouted, “Thank you Gisèle” and “Bravo Gisele” as she exited the court. Others applauded and ululated.
After Pelicot was driven away, supporters gathered in a circle and sang songs including the anthem of the women’s liberation movement in the early 1970s.
Coco: The anonymous chat site dubbed the ‘den of predators’ that enabled the mass rape of Gisèle Pelicot
04:00 , Barney DavisIt was a free chat site with a simple interface allowing users to communicate anonymously.
But the shut-down Coco forum turned into a “den of predators” with it now emerging it was used by Dominque Pelicot to organise the horrifying mass rape of his ex-wife Gisèle.
Pelicot, who was jailed for 20 years on Thursday, co-ordinated his abuse by finding many of the men who raped his wife on the illicit chat site, and then through the platform was able to conceal his crimes.
Inside a packed Vaucluse criminal courtroom in Avignon, 47 men, including Pelicot, were convicted of rape. Two others were found guilty of attempted rape, and another two guilty of sexual assault.
Alexander Butler reports:
Coco: The chat site that enabled the mass rape of Gisèle Pelicot
'Consent' missing from French rape law, says legal expert after Pelicot verdict
03:03 , Barney DavisThe Pelicot mass rape trial which shook France and beyond is challenging the limits of existing legislation, a French legal expert said.
“I was relieved to see that all the accused had been convicted and, secondly, surprised by certain decisions and by the lack of severity (...) of certain decisions,” said Catherine Le Magueresse, a legal expert whose work looks at feminist criticism of law and sexual violence.
“Today the average sentence for rape is around 11 years and a few months, so that means that we are below the average sentence handed down, even though we have been constantly told that this was an extraordinary trial and that the way in which the accused had raped was particularly despicable.”
Le Magueresse said that if French rape law had included the principle of consent, none of the co-accused would have received lighter sentences, a fact she said she found extremely worrying.
The names and sentences of all 51 men found guilty in the Gisèle Pelicot trial
02:03 , Barney DavisThe sentences of the 51 men charged with rape and other offences related to the campaign of abuse against Gisèle Pelicot, orchestrated by her ex-husband Dominque Pelicot, are being revealed on Thursday.
Mr Pelicot has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for drugging his ex-wife, raping her, and inviting men to abuse her while unconscious for nearly a decade. He has also been found guilty of taking indecent images of his daughter and daughters-in-law.
While the 72-year-old had admitted the charges against him, most of the 50 other men on trial had denied charges of rape. They largely reside within the towns and villages around the southern French town of Mazan, where the Pelicots lived during their marriage.
Most have now been found guilty of aggravated rape and sentenced to time in prison. Here’s a full list of the defendants and their convictions:
Albert Toth reports:
The names and sentences of all 51 men found guilty in the Gisèle Pelicot trial
Gisèle Pelicot rape trial: The sentences for ex-husband and 51 defendants
01:03 , Barney DavisThe chain of events that led to Dominique Pelicot’s horrific crimes being uncovered
00:01 , Barney DavisGisèle Pelicot was in court to look 51 of her abusers in the eye and see them convicted for a total of 428 years.
She watched her former husband of 50 years Dominique Pelicot be found guilty on Thursday and sentenced to 20 years in prison after drugging and raping her for a decade, and inviting others to join in the attack.
But without her courage and the intervention of a supermarket security guard, the horrors of the trial which has shaped France’s legal system and shocked the nation to its core may never have come to light.
The chain of events that led to Dominique Pelicot’s horrific crimes being uncovered
In pictures: Dominique Pelicot, the rapist who drugged his wife and offered her body for sex
Thursday 19 December 2024 23:00 , Barney Davis
The forgotten victim?
Thursday 19 December 2024 22:00 , Barney DavisDominique Pelicot was also found guilty of taking indecent images of his daughter, Caroline Darian, and his daughters-in-law, Aurore and Celine.
Caroline - who was in court on Thursday - previously told the trial she felt she was the “forgotten victim” as, unlike in her mother’s case, there was no record of the abuse she is convinced was inflicted on her.
Dominique denied drugging and abusing his daughter.
“I will never come see you and you will die alone like a dog,” she shouted at him in court
Gisèle Pelicot’s heartbreaking statement outside court in full
Thursday 19 December 2024 21:00 , Barney Davis“This trial was a very difficult ordeal. I think first of all of my three children, David, Caroline and Florian. I also think of my grandchildren because they are the future and it is also for them that I have led this fight, as well as my daughters-in-law Aurore and Céline. I also think of all the other families affected by this tragedy.
“Finally, I think of the unrecognized victims whose stories often remain in the shadows. I want you to know that we share the same fight.
“I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all the people who supported me throughout this ordeal. Your testimonies have upset me and I have drawn from them the strength to come back every day. Long days of hearings.
“I also thank the victims’ aid association for our unwavering support. It has been invaluable to me. To all the journalists who have followed me and followed this case since its inception. I wish to express my gratitude for the faithful, respectful and dignified treatment in which they reported daily on these hearings.
“To my lawyers, finally, all the gratitude and esteem that I have for them for having accompanied me at each stage of this painful journey.
“I wanted, by opening the doors of this trial on September 2, that society could take hold of the debates that took place there.
“I have never regretted this decision. I now have confidence in our ability to collectively seize a future in which each woman and man can live in harmony with respect and mutual understanding. I thank you.”
Dominique Pelicot ‘dazed’ by 20 year sentence
Thursday 19 December 2024 20:00 , Barney DavisAfter the verdict was delivered, Dominique Pelicot’s lawyer said her client was “somewhat dazed” by his sentence and would consider whether to appeal.
He has 10 days to decide.
Dominique Pelicot, 72, was found guilty of all charges by a judge in Avignon, southern France, and cried in court as he was sentenced to the maximum term.
Gisèle Pelicot rape trial: The sentences for ex-husband and 51 defendants
Thursday 19 December 2024 19:23 , Barney DavisWho received the longest jail terms in the Gisèle Pelicot rape trial?
Thursday 19 December 2024 19:00 , Barney DavisGisèle Pelicot’s ex-husband Dominique was sentenced for repeatedly drugging and raping his wife for almost a decade, and inviting dozens of strangers to rape her unconscious body
The court found 46 of the other defendants guilty of rape, two guilty of attempted rape and two guilty of sexual assault, handing down sentences of between three and 15 years in jail, less than the four-to-18 years demanded by the prosecution.
Their victim sat in the packed courtroom to hear the sentencing, having waived her right to anonymity.
All the defendants have 10 days to decide whether to appeal, and Dominique Pelicot’s lawyer said he was considering this option.
“Shame on the justice system,” some of the waiting crowd chanted when they found out about the lighter-than-requested prison terms. Gisele herself told reporters that she respected the court decisions.
Here are brief profiles of the men who received the longest sentences.
Gisèle's children condemn 'low' sentences of their mother's abusers
Thursday 19 December 2024 18:07 , Barney DavisThe children of Dominique Pelicot believe the verdicts handed down to the guilty men in the case were too mild, a family member told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“The children are disappointed by these low sentences,” said the family member, asking not be identified, after a court in Avignon sentenced Dominique Pelicot’s co-defendants to between three and 15 years in jail, with two of the sentences suspended.
Coco: The anonymous chat site dubbed the ‘den of predators’ that enabled the mass rape of Gisèle Pelicot
Thursday 19 December 2024 17:57 , Tom WatlingCoco: The chat site that enabled the mass rape of Gisèle Pelicot
‘Mr Everyman’: Who are the 51 men who sexually abused Gisèle Pelicot?
Thursday 19 December 2024 17:36 , Tom Watling
‘Mr Everyman’: Who are the 51 men who sexually abused Gisèle Pelicot?
Court sketch shows Gisèle Pelicot after trail
Thursday 19 December 2024 17:18 , Tom Watling
‘You’ll die like a dog’: Dominique Pelicot’s daughter screams at him as rapist claims he never abused her
Thursday 19 December 2024 16:49 , Tom Watling
Dominique Pelicot’s daughter screams that he ‘will die alone like a dog’
Scholz praised Gisèle Pelicot
Thursday 19 December 2024 16:29 , Tom WatlingGerman chancellor Olaf Scholz has praised the courage of Gisèle Pelicot after her former husband and 50 accomplices were charged for her rape.
“The shame must change sides. Thank you, Gisele Pelicot! You courageously went from anonymity to a public figure and fought for justice. You gave women around the world a strong voice. The shame always lies with the perpetrator,” he said.
How Gisèle Pelicot shamed ‘Mr Everyman’ during the rape trial which shocked the world
Thursday 19 December 2024 16:04 , Tom WatlingHow Gisèle Pelicot shamed ‘Mr Everyman’ during the rape trial which shocked the world
Gisèle Pelicot mobbed by supporters as she leaves court after mass rape trial verdict
Thursday 19 December 2024 15:44 , Tom Watling
Gisèle Pelicot mobbed by supporters as she leaves court after mass rape trial verdict
Donald Trump? No. Gisèle Pelicot is the real Person of the Year
Thursday 19 December 2024 15:31 , Tom WatlingDonald Trump? No. Gisèle Pelicot is the real Person of the Year
ICYMI: Crowd outside court chant 'Shame on the justice system’
Thursday 19 December 2024 15:17 , Alex CroftCrowds outside the court were chanting “shame on the justice system” as some of the sentences were read out.
There is dismay among many outside the court on the length of some of the sentences - which are mostly shorter than prosecutors had demanded.
Prosecutors had demanded sentences of 652 years, but judges issued total sentences of 428 years.
Christelle Vidaller, 35, has been waiting outside the court since 9am. She told Reuters news agency that she was disappointed with the sentences.
“It’s a historical trial, we were expecting historical sentences,” she told Reuters.
Comment | Gisele Pelicot’s ‘descent into hell’ shows once again why women are so furious
Thursday 19 December 2024 14:49 , Alex CroftThe phrase “angry woman” is bandied around as some kind of insult; spat out in the same breath as “angry feminist” or “bra burner” or “calm down, dear”. We’re meant to feel ashamed by the accusation, timid, cowed. We’re meant to retreat into ourselves and shut up. Well, not anymore.
Angry woman? You bet. We are livid. I, personally, am baseball-bat-to-a-glass-window furious that in the past week alone, we’ve seen headlines describing an incredibly courageous woman – Gisele Pelicot – whose life as she knew it disintegrated in 2020 when she discovered her husband had been drugging her and inviting strangers to rape her for years in her own home, while filming it – as “taking public revenge on men”. It’s not revenge to tell the truth. It is bravery. It is justice.
Victoria Richards writes:
Gisele Pelicot’s ‘descent into hell’ shows once again why women are so furious
‘The trial of cowardice’: Gisèle Pelicot’s words during the trial
Thursday 19 December 2024 14:35 , Alex CroftIn an unusual move, Gisèle Pelicot waived her anonymity as a victim of rape, in the hope that it would encourage other victims of rape and sexual abuse to step forward.
Speaking during the trial, Ms Pelicot said: “For me this is the trial of cowardice, there is no other way to describe it.
“When you walk into a bedroom and see a motionless body, at what point (do you decide) not to react,” she addressed the men in the courtroom. She said there was no excuse for abusing her when she was unconscious.
“Why did you not leave immediately to report it to the police?,” she asked. “It is time for society to look at this macho, patriarchal society and change the way it looks at rape.”
‘Mr Everyman’: Who are the 51 men who sexually abused Gisèle Pelicot?
Thursday 19 December 2024 14:07 , Alex CroftThe 50 men on trial for raping unconscious grandmother Gisèle Pelicot in a ten-year campaign of sordid secret attacks orchestrated by her husband have been dubbed “Monsieur Tout-le-monde” — Mr Everyman.
They are men of all walks of life, ranging in age from 27 to 74, who answered Dominique Pelicot’s invitation to abuse his drugged wife in an online chatroom.
On Friday a French court found 47 men guilty of rape, two guilty of attempted rape and two guilty of sexual assault.
Most lived in south-eastern France within a 60km radius of the village of Mazan, where the Pelicots retired. One, Simoné Mekenes, 43, was their next door neighbour.
They include a firefighter, a journalist, a nurse, a prison guard and a construction worker. Some are retired, some are unemployed and three quarters have families of their own.
Crime correspondent Amy-Clare Martin profiles each of the 51 men convicted in France’s worst mass rape case:
‘Mr Everyman’: Who are the 51 men who sexually abused Gisèle Pelicot?
Nicholas François: Convicted journalist who claimed he only wanted sexual relations with Dominique
Thursday 19 December 2024 13:52 , Alex CroftJournalist Nicholas François, 42, claimed in court that he wanted to “try other things” after a difficult break-up with his ex-partner.
He was sentenced to eight years in prison and banned from working near children, after he was found guilty of aggravated rape and possessing child abuse imagery.
François told the court only went to the house with the aim of having a homosexual relationship with Dominique Pelicot.
Pelicot assured François that his wife would wake up after he started performing sexual acts on her, he said according to French outlet Liberation. He claimed he “mimed” the penetration.
François also denied possessing child pornography images which were found deleted on three USB sticks and a computer. "I deny having possessed and even more so being attracted to children," he insisted to the court.
‘You gave women around the world a strong voice’ - German chancellor
Thursday 19 December 2024 13:38 , Alex CroftGerman chancellor Olaf Scholz has thanked Gisèle Pelicot for her courage.
In a post on X, he wrote: “The shame must change sides. Thank you, Gisèle #Pelicot ! You courageously went from anonymity to public and fought for justice.
“You gave women around the world a strong voice. The shame always lies with the perpetrator.”
Die Scham muss die Seite wechseln. Danke, Gisèle #Pelicot! Mutig sind Sie aus der Anonymität in die Öffentlichkeit gegangen und haben für Gerechtigkeit gestritten. Sie haben weltweit Frauen eine starke Stimme gegeben. Die Schande liegt immer beim Täter.
— Olaf Scholz (@OlafScholz) December 19, 2024
Watch: Gisèle Pelicot reveals brave reason she waived anonymity in mass rape trial
Thursday 19 December 2024 13:25 , Alex CroftGisèle Pelicot defiantly said she has “never regretted” publicly attending her rape trial as she spoke out for the first time since her ex-husband Dominique Pelicot was jailed for 20 years.
France’s worst-ever mass rape trial saw 51 men convicted for a total of 428 years today (19 December), in a case which has shocked the world.
Explaining why she chose to waive her right to anonymity, Ms Pelicot told the media after the verdicts: “I wanted... to ensure that society could see what was happening. I never have regretted this decision. I have now faith in our capacity to collectively take hold of a future in which everybody... can live together in harmony, respect, and mutual understanding.”
Ms Pelicot’s ex-husband, dubbed the Monster of Avignon, was jailed after being found guilty of orchestrating her horrific rape.
Watch here:
Gisèle Pelicot reveals brave reason she waived anonymity in mass rape trial
Pictured: Relieved smile and wave from Gisèle Pelicot as she leaves court
Thursday 19 December 2024 13:08 , Alex Croft
‘You will die like a dog’, Dominique Pelicot is told by his daughter
Thursday 19 December 2024 12:51 , Alex CroftThe daughter of Dominique Pelicot, dubbed the Monster of Avignon, screamed out in court that he would “die like a dog” as he issued his final statement of the trial.
Pelicot had been accused of drugging his daughter, Caroline, when she was 20, and taking photos of her naked in bed in lingerie which she didn’t recognise. The images were found years later.
In his final statement of the trial which appalled the world, Pelicot said according to the Daily Mail: I would like to look my daughter straight in the eye and tell her that I did nothing [to her].”
But Caroline Darian, his daughter, shouted out in court: “I’ll never go to see you ever. You’ll finish alone like a dog.”
He replied, according to the Telegraph: “If I had taken [the photos] I would say so, but I can’t remember. She will never believe me. I may die like a dog. I am not asking her to stand behind my coffin [when I die]. There won’t be a coffin.”
“Even if she doesn’t love me any more, I will always love her. I know what I did. I know what I didn’t do.”
In pictures: Gisèle Pelicot leaves Avignon court for the final time
Thursday 19 December 2024 12:42 , Alex Croft
‘Merci Gisèle’ - crowds swarm as Ms Pelicot leaves court
Thursday 19 December 2024 12:26 , Alex CroftGisèle Pelicot has left the courtroom in Avignon, southern France.
Ms Pelicot appeared calm as she walked down the steps of the courthouse which she has visited almost every day since September, to hear the devastating details of crimes committed against her.
She held herself with dignity as she exited the courts and was swarmed by her supporters who have spent all morning singing, chanting and holding placards.
They shouted “merci Gisèle” and “bravo Gisèle”, before she departed for the final time in a grey car.
As she was driven away, emotional crowds sang songs including with the lyrics: “the women are enraged”.
Gisele Pelicot says she ‘never regretted’ waiving anonymity
Thursday 19 December 2024 12:03 , Alex CroftOf her decision to waive her anonymity, Ms Pelicot said she “wanted to ensure that society could actually see what was happening and I never regretted this decision”.
She said she has “faith in our capacity to collectively take hold of our future”.
Ms Pelicot added that she respects the verdicts and sentences of the court.
Gisèle Pelicot speaks out after sentencing
Thursday 19 December 2024 12:01 , Alex CroftGisèle Pelicot has spoken with members of the press after 51 men were convicted todday in France’s largest mass rape case.
“I’m very emotional,” she says. “It’s with a lot of emotion that I’m here to make a statement. This case was a very difficult test for me and I’m thinking first and foremost of my three children.
“I’m thinking about all the other families affected by this case and the unrecognised victims in these stories that are often in the shadows - you share my struggle.”
She expresses “deepest gratitude” to those who supported her throughout the process. “This really gave me strength to come back day after day”.
Court sketches: Gisèle Pelicot listens to verdicts
Thursday 19 December 2024 11:58 , Alex Croft
Jean Tirano claims Dominique Pelicot sedated him before he raped Gisèle
Thursday 19 December 2024 11:53 , Alex CroftJean Tirano, a 52-year-old roofer originally from Reunion Island, claims he was acting under the influence of drugs when he raped Gisèle Pelicot.
He has been sentenced to eight years in prison after raping Ms Pelicot in September 2018.
After arriving at the house, Tirano claims Dominique Pelicot gave him a drink before asking him to undress. “And after that, I don’t remember anymore”, he told the court according to Liberation. “I found myself in the car, I don’t remember how I got there.”
He claims Pelicot had drugged him using the drink.
The video of his abuse shows his abrupt exit from the room after Ms Pelicot moves and a thumbs up to the camera. But Tirano claims he has no memory of this.
“No, I don’t remember... It would be good for the victim, for the truth. And to defend myself . Now I’m seen as a liar or an idiot.”
He didn’t go to the police as he feared having to explain what he had done to his wife, Tirano claimed. “I’m not the kind of person who looks for trouble,” he added.
‘The world is no longer the same thanks to you’ - president of National Assembly
Thursday 19 December 2024 11:45 , Alex CroftThe president of France’s National Assembly has issued words of support for Gisèle Pelicot.
She wrote on X: “Thank you for your courage Gisèle Pélicot. Through you, it is the voice of so many victims that carries today, the shame that changes sides, the taboo that is broken.
“The world is no longer the same thanks to you.”
Merci pour votre courage Gisèle Pélicot.
— Yaël Braun-Pivet (@YaelBRAUNPIVET) December 19, 2024
À travers vous, c’est la voix de tant de victimes qui porte aujourd’hui, la honte qui change de camp, le tabou qui se brise. Le monde n'est désormais plus le même grâce à vous. #Mazan pic.twitter.com/vLEfycqRHP
Jean-Pierre Marechal: Dominique Pelicot imitator sentenced to 12 years
Thursday 19 December 2024 11:41 , Alex CroftJean-Pierre Marechal was found guilty of the attempted rape and aggravated rape of his own wife, and of drugging her.
Marechal was sentenced to 12 years in prison, after admitting to following Dominique Pelicot’s lead by drugging his own wife for five years.
He raped his wife, and invited Pelicot to rape her.
Marechard’s lawyer, Patrick Fontard, said his client would not be appealing the verdict, but that his client could be free in three years time.
‘Thank you, Madame’: Gisèle Pelicot on L’Humanité front cover
Thursday 19 December 2024 11:28 , Alex CroftL'Humanité du 19 décembre : Gisèle Pelicot, merci madame
— L'Humanité (@humanite_fr) December 18, 2024
📰 https://t.co/HlQqUuQ1TE pic.twitter.com/fK9AIO8WZZ
Comment | Gisèle Pelicot’s daughter is dealing with unimaginable horror – as do all ‘forgotten victims’
Thursday 19 December 2024 11:20 , Alex CroftBy now, Gisèle Pelicot is a household name – for all the wrong and most tragic of reasons.
Since September – when she bravely waived anonymity and testified against her husband Dominique – horrific details of how he drugged her, raped her and facilitated her rape by at least 50 other men have slowly come to light.
She has faced her abusers throughout the trial in Avignon, France, attending almost every court date. She has spoken of how “broken” she is and how her decision to be named was to help shift the shame felt by victims of rape and place it rightly on the assailants’ shoulders.
“I am a woman who is totally destroyed, and I don’t know how I’m going to rebuild myself. I’m 72 soon and I’m not sure my life will be long enough to recover from this,” she said of the abuse that spanned nine years.
Emma Clarke writes:
Watch: Men were ‘puppets’ of Dominique Pelicot, lawyer says
Thursday 19 December 2024 11:15 , Alex Croft51 men sentenced to 428 years in prison - report
Thursday 19 December 2024 11:08 , Alex CroftThe 51 men accused in France’s largest mass rape trial have been sentenced to a total of 428 years, according to French outlet Le Monde.
Of the 51 found guilty - which includes Dominique Pelicot - 47 were convicted of rape, two of attempted rape and two of sexual assault.
