the dignity of Gisèle Pélicot, in the face of the 51 men accused of having raped her

She entered, small and discreet. The courtroom fell silent. Gisèle Pélicot, 72, wears slightly tinted glasses, bangs and a straight red bob. She appeared surrounded by her family, united and dignified. With their heads held high, they took their places on the civil parties’ bench, pressed against each other. They formed a united, solid front. From time to time, Gisèle raised her head to the sky and took a deep breath, like a swimmer who would lift her head out of the water before diving back in.

This Monday, September 2, she is preparing to face her tormentor, Dominique Pélicot, her husband. The one with whom she shared her life for fifty years. The one who drugged her without her knowledge and delivered her to strangers selected online for nearly ten years. In total, 51 co-accused will be tried until December 20 before the criminal court of Vaucluse. An extraordinary case where the question of chemical submission will be at the heart of the debates.

Dominique Pélicot enters the plexiglass box. Gisèle freezes…