Gisèle Pelicot’s bravery led to the exposure of horrific crimes and a landmark trial in France
Mazan: This whole situation is just mind-blowing. Gisèle Pelicot faced 51 of her abusers in court, and they got a total of 428 years behind bars. Can you believe that?
She decided to drop her anonymity and became a symbol of strength during a four-month trial that shocked everyone. It was tough to watch, but she stood strong.
Last Thursday, her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, was sentenced to 20 years. The judges delivered their verdicts at the Palais de Justice in Avignon, and it was a huge moment for Gisèle.
But here’s the kicker: without her bravery and a supermarket security guard stepping in, this whole nightmare might have stayed hidden. It’s wild how one act can change everything.
So, what happened? There was this website called ‘Coco’ that was basically a hub for people who wanted to talk about sexual violence. It was crazy that it wasn’t even on the dark web!
Founded by a software engineer back in 2003, it let users pretend to be anyone they wanted. Pelicot used it to find men to abuse his wife while she was unconscious. Just think about that for a second.
He claimed they had a shared fetish, but Gisèle had no idea what he was doing. During the trial, some guys said they were tricked, while others claimed they were scared. It was a total mess.
After years of reports about the site, it finally got shut down this June. It had been linked to over 480 victims and 23,000 reports of criminal activity. It’s about time, right?
Police think around 72 men were involved in abusing Gisèle, but they couldn’t catch them all. Most lived nearby, and some were even their neighbors. It’s just so disturbing.
Among the abusers were all sorts of people—firefighters, journalists, and even a prison guard. Some had families of their own. It’s hard to wrap your head around how this could happen.
One guy even knew he had HIV when he assaulted her multiple times. Thankfully, she didn’t contract it, but she did have other STDs. The court found 47 men guilty of rape, and Gisèle was there to hear it all.
So how did Pelicot get caught? It all started when a security guard caught him trying to take inappropriate photos in a supermarket. That led to a police investigation that uncovered a ton of disturbing evidence.
They found over 20,000 photos and videos on his devices, revealing the awful truth. When Gisèle met with the police, she thought they’d just talk about the supermarket incident, but they had way more to share.
Thanks to that security guard, the whole case came to light. It’s incredible how one person can make such a difference.
There’s even a fundraiser now to honor that security guard for his diligence. It’s a reminder of how important their work is, even if it often goes unnoticed.
If you or someone you know needs help, there are resources available. It’s crucial to reach out and get support.