In Avignon, the hearings in the Mazan rape trial ended this Tuesday, November 19. Fifty-one defendants were questioned for having raped Gisèle Pelicot while she was drugged by her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot. This Tuesday, this main accused and his victim spoke one last time before the Vaucluse criminal court.
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Two speeches opposed the Mazan rape trial on Tuesday: that of Gisèle Pelicot, politician, castigating a society “ macho and patriarchal which trivializes rape », and that of the conductor of her rapes, her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot. The latter pleaded “ fantasy of subjugating a rebellious woman “.
Gisèle Pelicot first expressed herself, repeating her wish: that society “ changing perspective on rape », reports our correspondent in Avignon, Tanita Fallet. “ The trial of cowardice “, repeated the septuagenarian three times. Facing her, in the accused box, Dominique Pelicot lowered his head.
She spoke little, but was questioned at length by the defense lawyers, who did not spare her: some went so far as to accuse her of having consented. The latter returned to the clemency she would have towards her ex-husband, to the fact that he would have manipulated her for years. Gisèle Pelicot responded clearly and asserted for almost two hours: no, she does not forgive to Dominique Pelicotand no, she is not under his influence. “ Absolutely nothing caught my attention! “, she blurted.
Angry, she also blamed the 51 co-defendants for not having gone at no time denounce » the facts. “ They came to satisfy their sexual urges and, only afterwards, realized that something was wrong in this room “, underlined the septuagenarian. “ I’m going to have to live with this all my life. That men have defiled me, I will have to live with that, all my life. All my life », insisted Gisèle Pelicot in conclusion, at the end of the morning.
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“ You will die in your lies »
Sitting in the dock, Dominique Pelicot first addressed his children. “ It’s the first time I’ve seen them again in four years. I had measured the annihilation, but at this point, no “, he said.
He also again denied the slightest incestuous gesture towards them, referring to his daughter, Caroline. Naked photos of them were in fact found on Dominique Pelicot’s computer during the investigation, notably wearing her mother’s underwear. The day before, during his hearingshe had asked him for clear answers, to try to rebuild herself, convinced that she had been ” abused » by his father.
Dominique Pelicot turned to her. “ Honestly, Caroline, I’ve never done anything to you. Never ! » he said, his voice trembling. Faced with these words, Caroline screamed: “ You will die in your lies. »
Regarding the facts about Gisèle Pelicot, he confessed to his ex-wife having raped her and having her raped “ to subdue a rebellious woman “, A ” fantasy “. For the rest, he maintained his positions. When the defense accused him of certain inconsistencies, he did not go into detail. “ I recognize what I did to my wife. As for those in the room, I’m just reporting what happened. » An absence of details, which definitively mark the end of the hearings in this trial.
Dominique Pelicot implicated in two other cases from 1991 and 1999
Part of the afternoon was also devoted to reading documents from the file on events that occurred in 1991 and 1999. Several defense lawyers requested to hear the hearings of Dominique Pelicot concerning a murder and attempted rapes. . Facts processed by the “ cold case » from Nanterre. The man denies murder and admits to the attempted rape of a young woman in 1999.
He is not being prosecuted for these facts in the Criminal Court – a trial will take place later. But the lawyers wanted to talk about it, surely to show the gray areas of the main accused. On Wednesday, November 20, the lawyers for the civil parties must in turn begin their pleadings.
In the United Kingdom, the Guardian stands out in its coverage of the Mazan rape trial
THE Guardianthe main left-wing British daily, devotes an entire section on its site to “ Gisèle Pelicot affair ”, as he calls it. This with reports every day of the hearings in Avignon, reports our correspondent in London, Émeline Vin. With their reports, the correspondents in France of Guardian Angélique Chrisafis and Kim Willsher chronicle the trial of chemical submission and rape culture at large.
While the British tabloids focus on Dominique Pelicot, nicknamed “ the monster of Avignon » and on the horror of the facts, the two reporters focus on the banality of the accused: dozens of “ everyone “. Basically, they show the extent of violence in French society, with a common thread: the “ dignity » by Gisèle Pelicot. In each article, the septuagenarian is depicted as a symbol of courage, who refused to go behind closed doors. so that shame changes sides », and his speeches are scrupulously retransmitted.
In this process of reporting on a historic moment, the journalists of the Guardian go to all the demonstrations in support of Madame Pélicot: this is not common in a British press, which gives relatively little space to this type of foreign news. For the Guardianthere will be one after Pelicot: “ The courage of one woman has placed France at a turning point. »
Also readAt the Mazan rape trial, the public supports Gisèle Pelicot and denounces rape culture