‘The scar will never heal’: French survivor’s final testimony in mass rape trial

Avignon, France, Nov 19 (EFE).– “The scar will never heal,” said Gisèle Pelicot as she confronted 51 men accused of raping her over nearly a decade while her husband drugged her unconscious, a harrowing ordeal she described as stealing 10 years of her life.

Pelicot, 72, delivered an emotional statement on Tuesday before the Criminal Court of Avignon, addressing her abusers.

“I have lost 10 years of my life that I will never recover,” she said.

Pelicot, in what is likely her final statement before the court, recounted the trauma and indignities she has endured. “Since the judicial proceedings began, I have heard things that are unheard of and unacceptable,” she said.

Initially, she had the option to request a closed-door trial but chose to waive that right. “I knew what I was exposing myself to, but I could not allow this to remain hidden.”

Her testimony marks a pivotal moment in the high-profile case, which has drawn widespread attention to the systemic failures that allowed her abuse to continue for nearly a decade.

The trial continues in the Criminal Court of Avignon.

Her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, 71, accused of inviting 50 men to have sex with his unconscious ex-wife over 10 years, admitted to the charges against him at the start of the trial in September.

During her testimony in October, Pelicot said she had requested an open trial and had given her consent for footage of the alleged rapes to be played in court to show other victims of sexual assault that they should not feel ashamed.

“I have nothing to be ashamed of, I have nothing to blame myself for, I have suffered 100 rapes,” she said. “We should not be ashamed – it’s them.”

While she has been widely praised in France and beyond for her bravery in waiving her right to anonymity and for standing up for the victims of sexual assault, she acknowledged Wednesday that her ex-husband’s alleged crimes have “destroyed” her.

While her ex-husband has admitted to being “a rapist,” most of the other defendants deny the charges, saying they were unaware she was unconscious. EFE

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