AVIGNON, France (AP) — Gisèle Pelicot spoke about her “very difficult” experience after 51 men were found guilty on Thursday in the trial where they were accused of drugging and raping her, which shocked France and turned her into an icon, and expressed her support for other victims whose cases do not receive as much attention and “whose stories have not yet been told.”
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"I want you to know that we share the same struggle," she said in her first statements after a court in the southern French city of Avignon handed down prison sentences ranging from three to 20 years in the shocking case that sparked a national reflection on the ravages of rape culture.
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Who are the accused in the Pelicot trial?
Pelicot's ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, and all but one of his co-defendants were found guilty of sexually assaulting her for nearly a decade after he rendered her unconscious by mixing drugs in her food and drink. The other co-defendant was found guilty of drugging and raping his own wife with the help of Dominique Pelicot.
While activists against sexual violence were protesting near the courthouse, 72-year-old Gisèle Pelicot expressed "deep gratitude towards the people who supported me."
"Your messages deeply moved me and gave me the strength to come back, every day, and survive these long daily hearings," he said. "This trial was a very difficult experience."
Pelicot, who became a heroine to many in France and other parts for bravely demanding that all the evidence be heard in an open court, also said that she was thinking of her grandchildren after enduring the trial for over three months, where she sat in the same room as her attackers.
"I also led this fight for them," she said about her grandchildren. "I wanted the whole society to witness the debates that took place here. I never regretted making this decision. I trust in our ability to collectively project ourselves towards a future where all, women and men, can live in harmony, with respect and mutual understanding. Thank you."
Maximum penalty for her ex-husband
The court found Dominique Pelicot guilty of all charges and sentenced him to 20 years in prison, which was the maximum possible penalty. At 72 years old, he could spend the rest of his life behind bars. He will not be eligible for parole until he has served at least two-thirds of the sentence.
Dominique Pelicot and the other accused stood up, one after the other, as presiding judge Roger Arata read the verdicts and sentences, which took more than an hour.
Gisèle Pelicot sometimes nodded her head as the verdicts were announced.
Were some sentences too low?
Out of the 50 accused of rape, only one was acquitted of that charge, although he was found guilty of aggravated sexual assault. Another man was also found guilty of the charge of sexual assault he was tried for, which means that all 51 accused were found guilty in one way or another.
In a neighboring room where the relatives of the accused were watching the proceedings on television screens, some burst into tears and sobbed when the sentences were announced.
The protesters gathered outside the court followed the proceedings on their phones. Some read out loud the verdicts and applauded when they were announced inside the court. But anxiety grew as many of the sentences turned out to be lower than what the activists had expected, and shouts of "it's a shame for the judicial system!" were heard.
In addition to the 20 years requested for Dominique Pelicot, prosecutors asked for sentences ranging from 10 to 18 years for the others judged for rape. However, the court was mostly more lenient than the prosecutors had expected, and many were sentenced to less than a decade in prison. The five judges voted by secret ballot.
For the other defendants besides Dominique Pelicot, the sentences ranged from 3 to 15 years in prison, with some having the option of parole for part of the sentence. Arata released six defendants, taking into account the time they had already spent in detention awaiting trial.