“this is the trial of cowardice”, the conclusions of Gisèle Pelicot before the pleadings

After ten weeks of hearings in the Mazan rape trial, Gisèle Pelicot spoke for the last time before the Vaucluse criminal court this Tuesday morning. She summarizes this trial as that of “cowardice”.

Their last words before giving the floor to the lawyers. A new phase of the Mazan rape trial is beginning. In this eleventh week of hearing, the day after the testimony of the two Pelicot sons and on the eve of the start of the pleadings, Gisèle Pelicot spoke and agreed to answer one last time the defense lawyers' questions, this Tuesday 19 november.

More than forty journalists are present for this 48th day of trial, some of them since 6:15 a.m., to be able to attend the hearing. “almost as many journalists as accused”quips a police officer. Gisèle Pelicot arrives at 9 a.m., she slows down in front of the journalists, greets them calmly with a smile.

At 10:06 a.m., the septuagenarian takes the stand. Dignified, right. She speaks without hesitation, in a sustained voice, without inflection.

“I have just heard the last co-accused, I admit that since the beginning, I have heard a lot of inaudible things, unacceptable to me. By renouncing the closed session, I knew what I was exposing myself to.”

“Fatigue is feltshe continues. I saw people parade at the bar. (…) I want to say, and I'm polite: At what point, when you enter that room, do you tell yourself that she gave you consent? When you see an inert body, there is something not normal. At what point don’t you come out immediately and report what’s happening to the police?”

“What I heard: 'I was drugged, I took zolpidem…' I heard everything. “My brain was on remote control, I didn't understand what was happening… “That’s interesting… When did they not hit?”launches Gisèle Pelicot l'air las.

“For me, it is the trial of cowardice. There are no other words. The trial of Gisèle Pelicot is the trial of cowardice.”

She repeats this sentence. “I think I’ve said it all.” and finally adds: “It is high time that in this macho and patriarchal society, we change our outlook on rape.”

After his five-minute statement, several defense attorneys took the stand. And first Master El Bouroumi, who defends two accused, and arrived late in the courtroom. The tone rises for the first time this morning. “You have never expressed a very clear position on Mr. Pelicot”says the lawyer. “The only time you cried was when we talked about childhood.”

Faced with these questions asked in a particularly incisive tone, the room, until then silent, became slightly agitated. Gisèle Pelicot keeps her calm and gentleness. She doesn't raise her voice. A phlegm which contrasts with the lawyer's attitude.

Me Nadia El Bouroumi questions the notion of “manipulation” from which Gisèle Pelicot could have suffered “in everyday life” from her ex-husband.

“Do you think I would have stayed with someone for 50 years who would have manipulated me in everyday life?”replies the victim.

Caroline Darian, the daughter of and Dominique Pelicot leaves the room, visibly furious after these questions. She will come back a few minutes later.

Several other lawyers take turns facing Gisèle Pelicot. She returns to her ex-husband's attitude during their life together: “He was always considerate and kind to me. The influence I was able to have with him was the chemical influence. He never forbade me anything. I did what I wanted. I couldn't detect anything unusual about him.”

She continues: “Mr. Pelicot had a lot of fantasies. He was very frustrated. What he wanted was Madame Pelicot, not another person. He found the solution because I did not agree to go to the swingers clubs.”

I lost 10 years of my life that I will never get back. The scar will never heal.

Gisele Pelicot

France 3 Provence-Alpes

She finally evokes the years of medical wanderings, “great suffering“. “Every individual seeks therapy. For me, it was walking, music, chocolate.”

Me El Bouroumi speaks again. She is particularly interested in the day when Gisèle Pelicot went to the police station with her husband. Had he confessed everything to her before she discovered what happened? “No, he had a normal face.”

The questions continue, the tone rises again. Me Babonneau, the victim's lawyer, then intervenes. “You are tormenting Madame Pelicot!”he says. The two lawyers exchange vehemently before the president cuts it short: “Master Babonneau, your remark is particularly inappropriate and unworthy”. The room stirs once again.

Appeasement, I will never have it. There will always be 51 people who have defiled me. I'm going to have to live with this for the rest of my life.

On a question from another lawyer about the difference between defendants who admit and others, Gisèle Pelicot does not tremble: “For me, they are all guilty. I don't make distinctions. But for me, they all committed the same crime: raping an unconscious woman who did not give consent. That's all, I didn't I don't want to say anything anymore.”

After a suspension of the hearing, requested by the court and not Gisèle Pelicot, who was ready to continue, the lawyers' questions resumed. The victim is particularly invited to speak about the name, “Pelicot”, which she chose to keep.

“I want my grandchildren to be proud of their grandmother. That's why. I am known throughout the world, I had not at all estimated the extent that this trial was going to take. I want that They are not ashamed of this name. We will remember Gisèle Pelicot.

The court day began at 9 a.m., with a final interrogation, that of Philippe Leleu, 62, accused of having raped Gisèle Pelicot on June 7, 2018. More than six years later, he is at the bar of the court criminal of Vaucluse. Light blue jeans and beige sweater. Gisèle Pelicot is to his right, seated. To his left, the accused box, where Dominique Pelicot is located.

“I came to talk about gardening, trim hedges, see videos and lingerie.” Philippe Leleu immediately declares that this scenario was part of an “understanding” within the couple. “I did not commit rape”he maintains. Philippe Leleu was contacted by Dominique Pelicot on the coco.org website

Mr. Leleu said he was not aware of Gisèle Pelicot's condition before the meeting and was certain that she was “perfectly conscious“.

On the day of the meeting at Mazan's house, the two men first meet in the living room. “We talk about everything and nothing. My work. He offers me a coffee. He shows me videos on his computer. “I can show you my wife’s videos, my couple videos.”

In these videos, Leleu only sees “half” of Gisèle Pelicot's face. “As soon as he showed me videos of other men with it, it scrolled very quickly”. “She was like a gun dog, she didn't move“, he describes.

The president then asks him why he didn't “tilt”. “It’s weird, but I didn’t look any further.”

In the room, he finds Madame Pelicot “as a gunshot, naked.” “He tells me: she has taken her pills, her sleeping pills, she is sleeping, it’s an agreement between us, it’s to please me.” Then he touches and penetrates Gisèle Pelicot with his fingers.

“I was under Mr. Pelicot’s orders, I no longer think”specifies Mr. Leleu. During the entire interrogation, she is silent, she watches him speak.

The president's questions continue. After the act, Philippe Leleu leaves the room, Dominique Pelicot stays with him.

“Out of politeness, I waited for Dominique Pelicot in the garden to say goodbye to him. He said to me: ‘You will come back to trim the hedges’”.

“A very curious way of conceiving politeness”reacts Gisèle Pelicot's lawyer, Maître Stéphane Babonneau, after the interrogation. It was she herself who said this sentence to him.

Domic Pelicot, in a gray sweatshirt and white scarf, confirms “overall” Mr. Leleu’s statement. “I didn’t find it uncomfortable.”he notes, however. It confirms digital penetration.