I wrote in admiration and acknowledgement of her bravery, and in sympathy and empathy for what she had endured for years
Gisèle Pelicot is congratulated by women outside the Avignon courthouse after the prosecution concluded its case against her husband, Dominique Pelicot. Photograph: Christophe Simon/AFP via Getty Images, I was so horrified and so astounded that I had to read the piece all the way through again. The circumstances were so extreme, the abuse had gone on for so long, there were so many men involved, almost all of whom were in deep denial about whether consent had been present or not.
The professions of these men on trial in Avignon was a fleeting and temporary distraction. My focus returned almost immediately to the woman at the centre of the case, Gisèle Pelicot. She is now 72. A wife, mother, and grandmother. She had been with her husband for decades. The marriage appeared to be happy and stable, as was their relationship with their three children. Their adult children voluntarily spent time with them, and three generations of the family frequently holidayed together.
Stoically, she attended court every day. She wore sunglasses. I felt grateful on her behalf for that tiny protective barrier between her and the world’s cameras. Because almost immediately, this trial went global. The actions of one man in a small village in France, and the bravery of his ex-wife in deciding to be named in public so a national debate around consent could ignite, transformed into an international debate. It became a global story.
Gisèle Pelicot’s ex-husband is on trial for recruiting strangers to rape her. She wanted the case to be heard in public Pelicot was alone in that Mazan bedroom with her husband and abusers for years. In the Avignon courtroom, she was not alone. Women from around the world were there with her in spirit, watching and listening and thinking of her.Rosita Boland is Senior Features Writer with The Irish Times. She was named NewsBrands Ireland Journalist of the Year for 2018Bressie’s Christmas: ‘Once someone suggested having duck.
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