Politicians in France and elsewhere praised Giselle Pellicot’s courage and called the trial of the man who abused her historic, while feminist groups stressed there was still a long way to go and called for justice. France’s sexual abuse laws undergo fundamental changes.
“Thank you for your courage, Giselle Pellicot,” French National Assembly Speaker Jarre Braun-Pivey posted after announcing that all 51 defendants, including Pellicot’s ex-husband Dominique, had been found guilty. express.
Dominique Pellicot, one of the worst sex offenders in modern French history, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison by an Avignon court for drugging his then-wife at their home in the south of France and inviting several Ten men raped her in her home.
Gisele Pellicot waived her right to anonymity so that the trial could be held in public. “Through you, we hear the voices of many victims; shame is shifting; taboos have been broken. The world has changed,” Braun-Peavy added.
Foreign leaders also reacted, including Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who said Pellicot had given “a powerful voice to women around the world.” The shame always lies with the perpetrators”.
Marine Tondellier of France’s Green Party said the trial “broke social taboos” and “marked a turning point in the fight against rape culture”. Communist Party leader Fabien Roussel said rape culture “is finally condemned and condemned”.
Left-wing MP François Ruffin praised Pellicot for his “strength, determination and courage, which moved people’s conscience”, while Valery Pécles, president of the Paris region and a conservative, said that the 72-year-old The elderly have made contributions to society.
“Her refusal to have a trial behind closed doors … is a signal to millions of young girls and women, encouraging them not to respond in the face of assault, rape and all forms of sexism and sexual violence,” Pecles said. Stay silent any longer.
Outgoing Education Minister Anne Genetet said Pellicott’s resilience was “admirable.” She added that the trial should “remind us all of our collective responsibility to ensure that respect, consent and equality are non-negotiable principles”.
Outgoing Gender Equality Minister Aurore Bergé thanked Pellicott for her courage, saying her courage “made possible the changes our society needs”. But others point out that this change is long overdue and more must be done to ensure it happens.
Socialist senator Laurence Rossignol, a former minister for the family and women’s rights, welcomed the conviction in the Avignon rape case and joined others in questioning parts of the verdict.
“The gap between the sentence sought by prosecutors and the partial sentence is disappointing and huge,” Rossignol said. “The responsibility of consumers of porn, paid sex, or sedated wives is always minimized. “
The International Feminist Front, an umbrella organization of 85 feminist groups in eight different countries, also described the verdict as historic but said it came at a time when “rapists enjoy virtual impunity.” “Made by the country.
In France: “10% of victims of sexual violence lodge a complaint, and 94% of these complaints are dismissed”, the organization said. The verdict comes as another high-profile trial involving alleged drug abuse is about to begin in a “masculine society.”
Center-right senator Joël Guerriau, 66, is accused of drugging MP Sandrine Josso with the intent to rape or sexually assault her. Giosso accuses Griot of giving her champagne laced with Ecstasy. He denies all wrongdoing
Other feminist groups have called for major changes to the law.
Anne-Cécile Mailfert of the Women’s Foundation said that by refusing to hold a closed trial, Pellicott “gave historic significance to the trial, which exposed marital rape, rape the mediocrity of the crimes and the level of chemical coercion.”
But Melvert said the fight against impunity “has only just begun”, noting that she “didn’t understand” some of the sentences and that what was needed was a “fundamental reset” of how the justice system deals with sexual violence. think”.
“Society as a whole – the police, the judiciary and politicians – can no longer ignore victims,” Melvert said. “There is an urgent need to pass a comprehensive framework law providing comprehensive protection against sexual and gender-based violence.”
Amy Ba of the NousToutes (All of Us) group stressed the importance of educating young people about sexual violence and consent, while Choosing Women’s Causes said the law “must now be redeveloped to clearly define what consent is” , what is not”.
Unlike France, some European countries, including Spain, have adopted so-called “yes-only” sexual assault legislation, meaning consent must always be affirmative and cannot be considered to have been given by acquiescence or silence. of.