Gisèle Pelicot, the woman whose husband used drugs for nearly ten years to offer her to dozens of men who raped her while she was unconscious, sent a message on Monday to other victims of sexual violence around the world to tell them: “You are not alone”.
In a brief statement to the press before the start of the hearing in Avignon (south-east of France) during which Her ex-husband and 50 other men are on trial for raping her.Gisèle Pelicot wanted to thank the expressions of support she has received since the beginning of the process, and in particular the demonstrations organized in France this Saturday.
“Thanks to all of you, I have the strength to fight this battle to the end. This battle that I dedicate to everyone, women and men victims of sexual violence in the world“To all those victims, I want to say today, look around you, you are not alone,” he said.
The remarks came just minutes before the scheduled start time of a hearing in which The main accused did not appearor Dominique Pelicot, because as his lawyer, Béatrice Zavarro, said, a stone was detected in his gallbladder and he has a kidney infection.
The view must serve, precisely, to evaluate the consequences of the illness of the main defendant and that could lead Chief Justice Roger Arata to decide to suspend the trial for a few days or adjourn it for the long term.
