PARIS (AP) — Men and women demonstrated collectively Saturday in Paris and different French cities in help of Gisèle Pélicot and in opposition to sexual violence highlighted by the harrowing trial of her ex-husband and dozens of different males being prosecuted for rapes whereas she was intentionally drugged and knocked unconscious.
The demonstrations exterior Paris’ prison court docket, within the southeastern metropolis of Lyon and elsewhere underscored how Pélicot’s braveness in talking out about her ordeal is inspiring individuals in France and past, whilst they have been horrified by the size and brutality of the abuse she suffered over the course of a decade.
Because the Sept. 2 starting of the extraordinary trial, throughout which Pélicot has confronted 51 of her alleged rapists, she has been praised for her composure and choice to maintain the hearings public — after the court docket initially recommended that they be held behind closed doorways.
“She has determined to make this an emblematic trial,” mentioned Elsa Labouret, one of many Paris demonstrators and a spokesperson for the ladies’s group “Osez le féminisme!” (Dare to be feminist!)
“Victims don’t need to do what she did. They’ve a proper to have their anonymity protected. It’s not essentially an obligation of any sufferer. However what she determined to do may be very, essential as a result of now we can not ignore the violence that some males can resort to,” she mentioned.
Demonstrators denounced what they mentioned is laxity from the French justice system towards sexual violence and fears of being raped and assaulted that they mentioned stalk girls day-in, day-out.
Placards they held up learn: “Disgrace should change sides,” “Cease the denial,” “Not your punching ball” and “We’re all Gisele. Are you all Dominique???”
Dominique Pélicot admitted through the trial that for almost a decade, he repeatedly drugged his unwitting spouse and invited dozens of males to rape her whereas she lay unconscious of their mattress.
He instructed the court docket that he additionally raped Gisèle and that the 50 different males additionally standing trial understood precisely what they had been doing. She has divorced him since his arrest. The trial is anticipated to run till December.
The defendants vary in age from 26 to 74. Lots of them deny having raped Gisèle Pélicot, saying her then-husband manipulated them or that they believed she was consenting.
“You possibly can by no means know who’s a rapist or who’s a monster. Like, it might be your neighbor, it might be anybody,” mentioned Paris demonstrator Khalil Ndiaye, a pupil.
“It’s actually disgusting one way or the other to assume that it might be those that , individuals that you simply hang around with on daily basis and, like, they may do issues like that.”
He mentioned he regards Gisèle Pélicot as an icon.
“As a result of in her ache, she determined not to surrender and to not simply lie down,” he mentioned. “She determined to combat. And we’re all right here right this moment as a result of she’s preventing and she or he’s inspiring us to combat, too.”
