The sentencing of Dominique Pelicot to 20 years of criminal imprisonment, alongside 50 co-defendants for rape and sexual assault, sparked a wave of unanimous reactions in France and abroad. In France, the political class as a whole praised the strength and determination of Gisèle Pelicot. Prime Minister François Bayrou expressed his “immense respect” for this woman who, according to him, embodies a model of courage and exemplarity.
Yaël Braun-Pivet, President of the National Assembly, paid tribute to the woman who, through her voice, made it possible to “break the taboo” of sexual violence, making this trial a founding moment. Gabriel Attal, president of the Ensemble pour la République group, described the trial as a “national shock,” while François Ruffin (LFI) described an “act of resistance” in which Gisèle Pelicot shifted “shame to the side of the aggressors.” “.
Unanimous support from all political parties
Valérie Pécresse, LR president of the Ile-de-France region, praised a woman who was “dignified and upright in the face of her tormentors”, and Jordan Bardella, president of the National Rally, praised her courage in publicly confronting her attackers by refusing to be held in camera. closed.
On the side of the left-wing parties, Jean-Luc Mélenchon (LFI) presented Gisèle Pelicot as the symbol of a “new feminist France”, while Marine Tondelier, patron of environmentalists, described the trial as “a historic moment breaking taboos societal”. The PS welcomed her refusal of anonymity, declaring: “Through her, thousands of voices of invisible and forgotten women were heard. »
A heroine celebrated internationally
The recognition of Gisèle Pelicot quickly went beyond French borders. In Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez praised the “exemplary dignity” of this woman. Ana Redondo, Minister of Equality, announced that her name would be given to a new reception center for women victims of violence in the Asturias region.
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In Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his admiration for the woman who gave “a strong voice to women around the world”, emphasizing that “the shame always belongs to the aggressor”. In the United States, the New York Times called Gisèle Pelicot the “face of courage,” comparing her to iconic figures like the Tiananmen protester or the “woman in red” of the 2013 Turkish protests.
