The eleventh week of the Mazan rape trial began Monday with the testimonies of the Pelicot couple’s children. They told “a shattered family life“and they demanded”the truth“to their father, the truth for each of them and particularly for the daughter, Caroline, who considered herself “the great forgotten one of this trial“.
This Tuesday, Gisèle Pelicot comes to answer questions defense attorneys after questioning the last of the 51 defendants, with all defendants present in the room. Then Dominique Pelicot will have the floor to close the debates. The couple’s three children, David, Florian and Caroline, are there, on the civil parties’ bench.
For Gisèle Pelicot, “it’s the trial of cowardice”
Gisèle Pelicot began her speech by saying “for me, it’s the trial of cowardice“. “It is high time that society opens its eyes to this patriarchal macho society, where rape is trivialized..” She continued, “I have just heard the last co-accused on this stand. I admit, that from the beginning, I heard things for me, inaudible, unacceptable.”
“I saw those who deny rape paradethose who talk about it as banality. I want to tell them: when you enter this room and see an inert, unconscious body, do you say to yourself that you have my consent? I heard ‘my brain was remote controlled, I was drugged’, I heard it all!“
Lawyer Nadia El Bouroumi, who defends two defendants, asked her why she did not also have harsh words towards Dominique Pelicot. To which Gisèle replied, “Mr. Pelicot admitted the facts and never denied the facts, unlike the 50 others. There were few who recognized them, but I looked them in the eyes. Unlike those who apologized for the sake of apologizing themselves. They violated.”
The tone rose, the interrogation led by Me Nadia El Bouroumi became more muscular and she sometimes raised her voice. “I think you are a victim of rape, but also under a very strong influence and still today because he [Dominique Pelicot] is so strong“. “That’s false,” replied Gisèle Pelicot.
“But is confessed rape any less serious?” Me Carine Monzat
Another lawyer, Me Carine Monzat questioned Gisèle Pelicot, “But is confessed rape any less serious?” “I’m not going not answer this question, it is indecent“, replied Gisèle Pelicot. And she returned to the question of influence, she detailed, “You don’t stay under control for 50 years. The influence I had was a chemical influence. But he never forbade me to do anything, I did what I wanted. I couldn’t detect anything wrong with him..”
Gisèle Pelicot also responded to defense lawyer Paul-Roger Gontard. “Moi, I lost 10 years of my lifewhich I would never catch up with. It’s complicated of course, this suffering will be indelible. This scar will never close. I’m talking about it with my therapist. Everyone has their own therapy, but it’s also music, walking and chocolate, because I really like chocolate.” And Me Paul-Roger Gontard replied: “I think we’re going to offer you a lot, ma’am.”
“The trial of Mr. Pelicot and the 50 individuals behind me”
Dominique Pelicot’s comments on the photomontages he made of the mother and daughter were discussed. Dominique Pelicot said Monday that he did it because it was asked of him in the form of blackmail. A lawyer asked Gisèle Pelicot if she thought it was credible. “I don’t want to answer this question“, replied Gisèle Pelicot. But at that moment, the girl, Caroline got up to go out, furious.
And Me Nadia El Bouroumi asked Gisèle Pelicot the question: “Even today, Caroline comes out and explodes. You can’t take his side.” To which Gisèle Pelicot responded in a firm tone: “I think we are not not doing the intra-family trial. We are putting Mr. Pelicot and the 50 individuals behind me on trial.”
“This woman is not asleep, she is unconscious” Gisèle Pelicot
Another defense lawyer, Me Alexia Bérard, reminded him of the difficult childhood of Dominique Pelicot. “Don’t you think that this difficult life could be the reason why it is difficult for you to attack Dominique Pelicot?“Gisèle Pelicot replied, “non, it’s not complicated, because he recognized. It would have been much more complicated if he had not recognized and said that Ms. Pelicot was an accomplice or that Ms. Pelicot consented. It’s not for me to judge.”
And then Gisèle added: “I am angry with these people behind me, because not for a moment did they stop their actions, not for a moment were they denounced. They could have had my death on their conscience. They really came to satisfy their sexual urge. Yes, I have anger for these individuals, they could have stopped. Not a single one went to denounce and that really raises questions. This woman is not asleep, she is unconscious.”
“You think he [Dominique Pelicot] said everything in the box?” asked another defense lawyer, Me Olivier Lantelme. Gisèle Pelicot assured him, “concerning me, yes.” “And what about the others?” “I will not answer this question“.
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