A harrowing hearing at the Mazan trial, where Gisèle Pelicot faces her husband on Wednesday, September 18, accused of recruiting dozens of men on the internet to rape her after drugging her. But also facing 50 of her alleged rapists, the majority of whom claim to have believed they were participating in a libertine scenario and therefore that she was consenting. Defense lawyers have requested the screening of certain photos found on Dominique Pélicot’s hard drive.
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For the first time, victim Gisèle Pelicot lost her temper on Wednesday, September 18, at the trial of the serial rapes in Mazan in the south of France. She then expressed her feeling of humiliation in the face of the insinuations of certain lawyers about the rapes she suffered, telling them: “Rape is rape!»
“Since I arrived in this courtroom, I feel humiliated. I am called an alcoholic, that I put myself in such a state of drunkenness that I am an accomplice of Mr. Pelicot. “, her ex-husband who handed her over to men after drugging her, she claimed before the criminal court of Vaucluse, in Avignon. ” It’s so humiliating and degrading to hear this! “, said this 72-year-old woman who is said to have been the victim of some 200 rapes, 92 of which were committed by 50 co-defendants who have been tried since September 2 alongside Dominique Pelicot.
Endless photo projection
The president may well scroll through the 27 photos as quickly as possible, but the projection seems endless, reports our special correspondent in Avignon, Laura Martel. Gisèle Pelicot appears sometimes naked and handcuffed, sometimes in suspenders; sometimes only her sex is shown on the screen. In some pictures, it’s not even me. If I have to show you the peculiarity I have near my belly button to prove it, I will. “, Gisèle Pelicot gets annoyed. The other clichés “ were taken without my knowledge, probably when I was drugged, ask Mr. Pelicot ” she insists.
In the dock, her ex-husband confirms. But a defense lawyer virulently addresses him: “Sometimes you pose with your eyes open, or even with a smile… Why don’t you accept that some men could legitimately say to themselves “she is consenting”?»
Also readMazan case: Dominique Pélicot admits to the rape of his ex-wife, but denies the attacks on his daughter
Photos used as bait?
This time, Gisèle Pelicot gets carried away: “Drugged, I could go to the hairdresser and forget everything. I could function without having any memories.“And the victim concedes that photos could have been used as bait,”but once they saw me comatose in the room, it’s something else, what’s their excuse?” she says.
Another lawyer does not hesitate to return to the charge: did she not “unacknowledged exhibitionist tendencies» ? «What are they looking for in this room, that I am guilty?“, explodes Gisèle Pelicot. “I understand that rape victims do not file complaints, it is a revelation where they try to humiliate the victim and the 50 behind, there, they are fine, they are not guilty.»
Also listen toMazan rape trial ‘demonstrates this form of ordinary bestiality’
“Gisèle Pelicot faces“, assures his lawyer.
For Gisèle Pelicot’s lawyer, Stéphane Babonneau: “Do we have to raise our voices against the civil party? I don’t think so. Asking her if she leaves the door open when she goes to the toilet is the privilege of the defense. Asking her if she might have exhibitionist tendencies is still the privilege of the defense. And Gisèle Pelicot is facing up to it.»
In a rape trial, there are questions that are asked and which are often very difficult questions which sometimes give the impression that we are – as was the case today – trying the civil party.
Master Stéphane Babonneau, lawyer of Gisèle Pelicot
Master Louis-Alain Lemaire, lawyer for four accused, deplores the virulence shown by some colleagues, but believes that viewing the photos has allowed the central question of this trial to be posed.For me, Mrs. Pelicot is a victim, I sincerely believe that, and obviously we must not mistreat her, poor thing, it is a reality. But it was perhaps useful to allow us to move forward on the problem of the reaction of all these boys who are prosecuted for a rape that most say they did not commit.»
As long as there is no criminal intent on the part of the men who arrive there, rape can be discussed…
Master Louis-Alain Lemaire, defense lawyer for four of the accused