“What she did is astonishing”: why Gisèle Pelicot will forever remain a symbol

On September 2, his frail but determined figure was still unknown to the general public. Sunglasses screwed onto her face, Gisèle Pélicot then made her mark by asking for the closed session to be lifted as soon as the Mazan rape trial opened, consequently making the hearings public.

“Through this opening of the courtroom to the public, she wishes to raise awareness, as widely as possible, about what happened to her, so that facts like this never happen again,” one of his lawyers, Me Stéphane Barbonneau, explained to the press. The 72-year-old woman refuses to hide. As a symbol, she will abandon her glasses over the course of the three and a half months of trial.

What she did was astonishing.

A feminist activist

Because the impact of this extraordinary trial, which saw the conviction of 51 defendants, from all walks of life and of all ages, was far beyond his expectations. As the days went by, a guard of honor was formed as he passed. Applause and chants were heard, while feminist slogans were displayed on the walls and banners. Messages like “Justice for all”, “Shame has changed sides, and justice?”or even “thank you Gisèle” were hung and chanted with force.

At the exit of the palace, the crowd also grew as the hearings progressed. Many anonymous people, but also more and more media, went to the Avignon court. If 30 were present at the opening of the trial, 180 of them were accredited for the verdict, including 86 foreigners. In Italy, for example, “this case is very closely followed. Moreover, the issue of rape is very closely followed in our country”highlights Niccolo Ferrero, Italian journalist for the Mediaset group, in the TF1 news report at the top of this article.

“It’s a trial that is so emblematic, it’s so big, it’s so impressive in fact, this figure of Gisèle Pelicot, that it’s obvious that we’re there”further justifies Lisa Louis, German journalist for the media German wave. After the announcement of the verdict, the New York Times published on the front page of its website a photo of Gisèle Pelicot, all smiles, with this title: “The face of courage”the face of courage.

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From the slogans displayed in the streets of Avignon to her silhouette drawn on the walls of the streets of Lille, Gisèle Pelicot has entered the daily lives of the French and already, it seems, has established herself as a historical figure. “We have been here since September 1, the day before the trial”declares in our report a woman in front of the Avignon court, adding: “I don’t know if she’s an icon, but in any case, what she did is astonishing.” Same message from a younger activist:“We hope that there will be a before and an after, as was requested, and in fact, I think that thanks to her, the shame will really have to change sides”. “It concerns us all, it’s a real scourge of society. So women and men”calls another man present on site.

The victim became an icon in spite of herself. At the end of almost four months, she will have made the ravages of violence against women and the scourge of chemical submission resonate worldwide.