Gisèle Pelicot's story is not just one of horrifying abuse but of unimaginable courage and resilience.
It's become one of the biggest court cases to capture the world's attention — as lawmakers attempt to prosecute the countless strangers who abused Gisèle at the direction of her now ex-husband, Dominique Pélicot.
For over a decade, her husband of 50 years, Dominique, secretly drugged her and allegedly allowed more than 70 men to assault her while she lay unconscious. Gisèle remained completely unaware of these atrocities until police arrested Dominique on an unrelated offence and uncovered harrowing footage of the attacks.
She chose to sit through replays of the atrocities in court and face both her husband and her abusers, many of whom she is seeing for the first time, turning her personal nightmare into a powerful moment of truth and strength.
Determined to expose the horrors she endured and speak out for all survivors, Gisèle courageously shared a heartbreaking testimony of her experience in court, simultaneously vowing to dismantle the stigma surrounding rape survivors.
A total of 49 men face rape charges, while others are accused of attempted rape, sexual assault, and possession of child abuse imagery.
The defendants, aged 26 to 74, come from various backgrounds, including nurses, journalists, prison officers, soldiers, and farmers. The trial is expected to conclude by December 20.
Here are the most harrowing and brave moments from her powerful testimony.
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