He case of Gisèle Pélicot has become a symbol of the fight against sexual violence in France, and proof of this is the flood of support received by this victim of a barbarity perpetrated by her husband. On Saturday, hundreds of people, mostly women, gathered in cities across the country to express your support. And this Tuesday, she was able to attend the support herself at the end of the hearing during which her the executioner confessed to the crime and asked for forgiveness.
Around about thirty people gathered this Tuesday at Courts of Avignon (France), at the end of the hearing in which Dominique Pelicot, accused of drugging his wife and allowing up to 50 men to rape her, testified. There, inside the courthouse, the group erupted in applause and messages of support as soon as Gisèle Pelicot left the courtroom, as seen in this video.
This Tuesday, there was no further session in this judicial process. After a week of postponements due to health conditions The main accused, Dominique Pelicot, 71, admitted the facts he is accused of and has lost forgiveness towards the family: “I am a rapist like everyone else in this room… I ask my wife, my children, my grandchildren to accept my apologies. I am sorry for what I have done. I ask for your forgiveness“even if it is not forgivable,” he said, according to French media.
Gisèle Pelicot insisted on the fact that the trial was public For expose her husband and the other men accused of raping her and shedding light on the sexual violence, her lawyers said. Since the beginning of the trial, we have seen her come and go daily to each session and she has even made statements to the media. That same Monday, Gisèle spoke with send a message to other victims of sexual violence around the world to say, ‘You are not alone,’ he said.
This Tuesday, after her ex-husband’s confession, Gisèle, 72, said she had lived for 50 years “with a man she would never have imagined capable of these rapes.” However, the signs of support during this last session allowed her to see a smile, a different image from the serious face of the last days of a victim who claims to have suffered “barbarity” executed by her now ex-husband.
