“After all, nobody died.” These comments by the mayor of Mazan, who is in the spotlight following the trial of around fifty men accused of rape in the Vaucluse town, have sparked strong criticism, particularly from feminist movements, which denounce a rape culture that has reached its climax.
“I am accused of having minimized the seriousness of the despicable criminal acts of which the defendants are accused… I understand that these comments are shocking and I am sincerely sorry.”Louis Bonnet, a 74-year-old right-wing mayor, apologized in a statement posted on Facebook on Thursday, September 19, following his controversial BBC interview.
“I would therefore like to apologize, in particular to the women who were hurt by the clumsiness of certain words pronounced under pressure in front of a foreign media microphone.”He added, referring to the “Incessant media pressure” that has been suffered by its town of 6,000 inhabitants since the trial began in early September.
Fifty-one men have been on trial since 2 September in Avignon, most of them accused of having raped Gisèle Pelicot, drugged by her husband, over a period of ten years in the couple’s home in Mazan. Even if only two of Dominique Pelicot’s fifty co-defendants lived in this city, the shame is still there.
“This terrible story deeply affects our community. But I am fully aware that this bruise is in no way comparable to the suffering endured by Gisèle Pelicot and her family.”he added.
The British public media report focused on Mazan, “torn by horror” from the trial. An 11-second excerpt from the mayor’s interview went viral on social media, sparking an avalanche of outraged comments, with the following saying: “It could have been worse, there were no children involved and no women were killed. It will be difficult for the family, but they will be able to rebuild their lives. After all, no one died.”
This trial, a symbol of violence against women and chemical submission, has received a strong international response. Especially since the debates are not held behind closed doors, Mme Pelicot had wanted them to be public so that “shame changes sides”.
Videos will be shown on a case-by-case basis.
However, photographs and videos implicating the defendants in the Mazan rape trial will be released. “at the request of one or more parties” And in the absence of the public and the press, the president of the court made the decision on Friday.
“Broadcasts will not be systematic. If one or more videos are to be broadcast, this will be done at the request of one or more parties, for the sole purpose of revealing the truth.announced Judge Roger Arata, who is presiding over the trial that will last until December. “Considering that these images are indecent and shocking, this will be done in the presence only of the parties to the trial and the court.”Arata added, thus excluding the presence of the public and journalists.
The day after the release of photographs and videos at the hearing, in the presence of the press but without an audience, showing Dominique Pelicot, the main defendant, and Jacques C., one of his 50 co-defendants, performing sexual acts on the former’s wife, Gisèle Pelicot, who was visibly unconscious, the public prosecutor had asked on Friday for the images to be released systematically.
“Without this evidence there would be no trial”The prosecutor’s representative, Jean-François Mayer, first recalled the thousands of photographs and videos recorded and meticulously archived by Dominique Pelicot, which greatly contributed to the work of the investigators.
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“METROme Pelicot does not remember anything. And even if he did remember certain things, his words would have been widely discussed and questioned. I would therefore like your court to be able to see these images for all the accused, at least the most representative ones. »
the civil parties “subscribe fully” to this request, reported one of his lawyers, Stéphane Babonneau. The advice of Dominique Pelicot, M.my Béatrice Zavarro also agreed. But half a dozen lawyers for the other defendants strongly opposed it. “The request of the Attorney General is not for his court, it is for those outside who seek to drink the blood that flows from this justice system”thundered Paul-Roger Gontard, lawyer of one of the men tried in Avignon, recalling that it was possible “making a difference thanks to video descriptions made by researchers”.
“We need to know what kind of justice we dream of in the 21st century.my century. Not the kind that happens on social media, not the kind that aims to stir blood, at the risk of clouding the mind.”added his colleague Olivier Lantelme, who is defending another co-defendant.
