A horrific sexual assault case in France is adding to a larger French account of violence against women.
The case centers on 71-year-old Dominique Pellicott, who is accused of drugging and raping his wife, Giselle Pellicott, and inviting dozens of other men to sexually assault her while she was unconscious. Dominique Pellicott – Who has He confessed to repeatedly raping his wife For a decade — the trial is now underway, along with 50 other defendants accused of sexual assault or attempted sexual assault. Some of these defendants have pleaded guilty, others have denied it.
Although he A private trial was an option, Giselle Pellicott decided to make the proceedings public to raise support and awareness for other victims of similar crimes. “I’m speaking for all the women who are addicted and don’t know about it, I’m speaking for all the women who will probably never know,” Giselle Pellicott said of her case. In total, police used nearly 20,000 images of her husband’s assaults to determine that 72 men were involved in raping her from 2011 to 2020.
The Pellicot case is roiling France and comes as the country continues to struggle with accountability for sexual misconduct against women. As reported by the New York Times This spring, the #MeToo movement previously stalled in France’s film industry and gained new momentum this year after prominent actor and director Judith Godreche spoke out. French writers and actors have previously noted that the country’s attitude toward sexual freedom differs from the United States in how it treats sexual misconduct.
“French attitudes toward morality and sexuality have historically always been different from those of the United States,” journalist Agnes Poirier He told the BBC earlier. “But it’s been building for years and it looks like 2024 is different.”
what is the case
Police first discovered Dominique Pellicott’s attack on his wife in November 2020 after initially investigating him for taking pictures of women up their skirts in a supermarket in southeastern France, where the couple lived.
After being caught taking the photos, police searched Pellicott’s computer and found a folder titled “Abuse” on a related USB drive. In it, they discovered thousands of photos and videos of Pellicott and other men raping his wife while she was unconscious. “My world was shattered,” Giselle Pellicote said after police informed her of their discovery.
After officers searched Giselle Pellicott experienced memory loss, hair loss and weight loss, so they feared she might be suffering from Alzheimer’s or another serious illness. At that time her husband was there Drugging him regularly With a combination of medications, including the anti-anxiety drug Tempesta, which can act as a sedative.
While Giselle Pellicott was unconscious, Dominique Pellicott invited several men into their home so they could rape her. Gisèle Pelicot insisted that she had no knowledge of the attacks, and that she had not fainted, as some defendants have suggested. Dominique Pelicot found the men through a messaging board called “Unbeknownst to them” on the now-defunct website Coco, which was known for postings involving illegal activity.
On the site, Dominique Pellicott urged men to attack his wife, giving them specific instructions, including not wearing perfume or smoking, to avoid detection. The identities of the defendants have not been released, though authorities note that they range in age from 26 to 74, that many have partners and come from a wide range of backgrounds, including firefighters, journalists and soldiers.
In a search of his computer, police also found nude photos of Caroline Darian, daughter of Dominique and Giselle Pellicott.
What has happened so far
Both Giselle Pellicott and Darian took the stand last week and gave harrowing testimony about the assault. “Honestly, these are horrific scenes for me,” Giselle Pellicote said of the videos and photos her husband took to document the rape. “They treat me like a rag doll.”
Before learning of the attack, Gisele Pellicott said she believed she and her husband of nearly 50 years were a close couple. Dominic Pellicott admitted to the abuse and even told a psychologist that he did it because Gisele Pellicott refused to swing, or sleep with other people outside of their marriage.
Gisèle Pelicot said her decision to reveal her identity and speak publicly about the case was intended to show that survivors should not be ashamed of the abuse they suffered. Handling the case anonymously is “what her attackers wanted,” her lawyers said.
Darian described the horror she felt after learning what her father had done, calling him “the worst sex predator of the last 20 years”. Both emphasized the fear that they would not be able to regain any sense of stability or security in the relationship. “I have no identity anymore. … I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to rebuild myself,” said Giselle Pellicott.
The defendants are accused of aggravated rape or attempted rape, along with many others Faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. The trial is said to continue until December The accused give their evidence in groups.
How the case factors into the larger movement in France
The Pellicot case is the latest to raise awareness of sexual abuse in France this year after a series of sexual misconduct cases by famous actors and directors came to light.
Since February, several high-profile French actresses, including Godreche, have spoken out about being sexually assaulted as teenagers by film directors. Notably, Godrèche was Comments are invited on this issue At the César Awards, the French equivalent of the Oscars, and was given a standing ovation.
“Years after the American #MeToo movement gained traction in France it stalled,” Rokhaya Diallo, a French journalist, said. Godrecht writes for The Washington Post“This reception indicates that perhaps the larger culture here is finally ready to push back.”
Such changes have come as France has become more resistant to tackling sexual harassment, as has the United States, some say French commentator Dubbing the #MeToo movement the latest extension of puritanical American culture.
But Godrèche’s speech and the Pelicot case, as well as multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against famous French actor Gerard Depardieu, have put a new spotlight on the issue. Proponent of women’s rights Lawmakers also called on lawmakers to add the word “consent” to the legal definition of rape, something French President Emmanuel Macron has said he supports. Currently, French law Defines rape “An act of sexual penetration . . . committed with violence, coercion, threat, or surprise upon a person.”
“While there is still perhaps more skepticism in France than in the United States about the legality of sexual harassment and sexual harassment, these attitudes are changing rapidly, especially among younger generations of women and French feminists and their male counterparts are willing to confront the issue head on,” Laura Freder, a Northeastern University history professor who studies gender attitudes in Europe, told Vox. “The Pellicott case is sure to contribute to this trend.”
