In the courtroom, the reading of sentences against 51 found guilty of the rapes of Gisèle Pelicot it is incessant. And it is even more so if you think about the hypothesis why 30 other men in addition to those present, they would have been contacted by her husband, to abuse her while she was unconscious. Incessant, like the ovation that greeted Pelicot as he left the courtroom. “Today is Gisèle’s day“, comment on social media.
The 72-year-old reiterated her respect for the court and for the judges’ verdict, she who in recent months has given up her privacy and he chose for the trial to take place in open court. “When I opened the doors to this process, I wanted the company to be able to know the procedures: I have never regretted this decision. Now I have faith in our collective ability to build a future in which anyone, women and men, can live in harmony, with respect and understanding”, he declared. Gisèle who has always chosen to appear in court, in front of her ex-husband Dominique Pelicot , the one who drugged her and abused her in the first place.
The case raised a great media outcry and Gisèle’s experience became the symbol of a larger battle. “The shame is not for us, but for them”he had declared before the court, addressing his executioners. This phrase has now become a slogan, so much so that it has become art: the painting by the internationally renowned textile artist Victoria Villasana is magnificent, “Shame must change sides“ (in Italian: “shame must change sides”, ed.). Today, the cover of “L’Humanité” showed a photo of him and only one writing: “Thank you Madam“.
A complaint that did not go unheard
Il Time has been engulfed in various controversies over its title “Person of the Year” for the failure to choose the 72-year-old Frenchwoman, Pornhub removed videos whose title contained references to the action of sleepsending a warning that the content is illegal and shows non-consensual action. We wondered about the doctors’ (missing) diagnoses, when Gisèle complained of gynecological problems and memory loss. We were horrified, once again, by the depths that man can reach, and not a single man.
Pelicot’s case has been defined as “the case that shocked France”. But above all, he will be sincerely remembered by many, many women who have chosen to fight this battle with her. “I think of all the unheard girls,” Gisèle once said. “I am an absolutely destroyed woman and I don’t know if I will be able to rebuild myself, to move beyond this. I am 72 years old now, I don’t know if I have enough life left to process everything that has happened,” she added.
Faced with Pelicot’s pain, only one phrase can be remembered: “sister, I believe you”, the four words that feminist movements address to any woman who is a victim of violence. Gisèle was listened to and believed. And waiting for her today, outside the court that put a full stop to her nightmare, was the support of hundreds of womenready to embrace her and stay close to her.
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