FRANCE.- Last Wednesday, October 23, Gisele Pelicotvictim of dozens of violations orchestrated by her husband When she was under the influence of sleeping pills, she reminded the women who supported her accused relatives that she, too, had “an exceptional man.”
“These mothers, sisters, women, have said that their brothers and husbands were exceptional. I also had an exceptional manbut the profile of the rapist may be in the family, in friends,” he said this Wednesday when he returned to intervene as a witness at the Avignon Court.
Gisèle, turned into a true feminist symbol in Franceexplained that every day she goes to trial for all rape victims and for those women and men who support her day after day, with applause in the courts and with messages through social networks.
“I have become aware that I don’t have to be ashamed. I have nothing to blame myself for, I have suffered 100 violations,” he said.
She also said that her request for an open trial and her consent to videos of the rape being shown is because she wants “all rape victims to be able to say that, if Mrs. Pelicot did it, we can do it too“.
Gisele Pelicot’s words have resonated throughout the world. “I have nothing to be ashamed of,” she said today during her testimony in a French court where a trial is underway against her husband and 50 other men accused of multiple rape. pic.twitter.com/XMAAzsmw2P
— AJ+Español (@ajplusespanol) October 23, 2024
“I don’t want them to be afraid, we don’t have to be ashamed“It’s them,” he insisted.
“I am a totally destroyed woman”: Gisèle Pelicot
However, she acknowledged that she is “destroyed” at 72 years old: “I am a completely destroyed woman and I don’t know how I’m going to get up. “I don’t know if my life will be enough to understand everything that has happened to me.”
When asked by defense lawyers, Gisèle Pelicot stated that she “understands” the requests for forgiveness from some defendants, but that for her they are “inaudible.” “They make excuses for themselves,” he said.
Likewise, he took advantage of his new testimony to reiterate that there are no different degrees of violations. “There is rape and that’s it,” after some lawyers have tried to reduce the seriousness of their clients’ actions.
“For me They are rapists and will continue to be“said Gisèle Pelicot, who showed her anger at some of the testimonies of the accused and some of the questions from the defense lawyers.
The last time he spoke He denounced “a humiliation” in some of the testimonies and in the strategies of some of the defenses: “They came to rape me, what I hear in this room is so degrading.”
They support Gisèle and victims of sexual abuse
In the vicinity of the Avignon Court you could see several banners in support of Gisèle Pelicot and to victims of sexual abuse.
“A rape is a rape,” said one of those banners, while another read in Spanish: “Welcome our sisters in support of Gisèle“, in reference to the group of Spanish feminists who attended the demonstration that took place last Saturday in front of the court in support of the victim.
As is tradition, upon arrival at court, Gisèle Pelicot was applaudedin support of the victim of a case that has become a cause with which this woman wants “shame to change sides”, for the victims to stop being questioned, as she herself reported that she was, and that she never more the events that she suffered for almost 10 years are repeated.
Among those gathered to applaud Gisèle Pelicot today was Cristophe Brunelhis amateur drama teacher in 2010.
“She says it: this fight is not for her, but for others. And I believe her, because I saw her attitude for a year in class,” she told EFE, after giving her a bouquet of orchids at the end of today’s morning session in this eighth week of the trial.
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Gisèle Pelicot’s testimony is a profound reflection of her trauma and the impact of past abuses on her life. At 72, Pelicot identifies herself as a “totally destroyed woman,” expressing uncertainty about how she will find the strength to move forward. She acknowledges the complexities of forgiveness that some defendants seek, but she finds their requests “inaudible,” perceiving them as mere self-excuses.
Emphasizing the gravity of her experiences, Pelicot asserts the unequivocal nature of violations: “There is rape and that’s it.” This statement comes in response to attempts by defense attorneys to minimize the severity of the actions taken against her and others.
The emotional weight of her testimony is compounded by her frustration towards the defense strategies that seem to undermine her trauma. She has openly challenged the notion of different degrees of violations, standing firm in her belief that all acts of rape are equally dire.
her account sheds light on the enduring effects of violence and highlights the importance of addressing these issues with the seriousness they demand. Pelicot’s testimony serves as a call for accountability and respect for survivors of abuse, reinforcing her stance that rapists are, and will always be, perpetrators of a serious crime.
