In Avignon, the trial of 50 men accused of having raped Gisèle Pelicot, drugged by her ex-husband for nearly 10 years, continues. After more than a month without speaking out, the victim took the stand again on October 23. Gisèle Pelicot reacted to what has been said in recent weeks. For an hour and a half, she wanted to say what was on her heart.
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In a straight navy blue dress, Gisèle Pelicot wanted to address her first words to her ex-husband Dominique, of whom she said “ not being able to look him in the eyes “. She looked back on these 50 years of marriage, in harmony, before marking time.
“ It’s difficult for me “, explained the victim, before addressing Dominique Pelicot: “ I still don’t understand how you could betray me so much. » Gisèle Pelicot sent him one last message, she who always pulled him up. “ You have chosen the depths of the human soul » she said in a dry tone.
She also returned to the comments of the thirty accused heard over the last eight weeks. Some people’s excuses? She finds them inaudible. “ For me, they are rapists. They will remain rapists “, insisted the septuagenarian. Gisèle Pelicot thus responded to what was said by their wives, their sisters or their daughters, who affirmed that they are not like that: she too had a “ wonderful husband “. And yet…
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“ Let us change this society »
A way for her to remind us of the need to change our outlook on the rapist, who is not the one “ that we meet late in a parking lot ”, before stating: “ I express neither my anger nor my hatred, but a desire and a determination to change this society. »
Gisèle Pelicot, who spoke on October 23 for the second time since the opening of the trial, said she was “ a completely destroyed woman “. “ I don’t know how I’m going to rebuild myself, get over all this. Fortunately, I have the support of a psychiatrist and it will take me many more years. Almost 72 years old, I don’t know if my life will be enough for me to get back up “, she added.
But determined, the one whose courage is regularly praised through demonstrations in recent weeks in France insisted on the importance of this trial of which she requested the lifting of the closed session: “ I wanted all women who (are) victims of rape to say to themselves ”Madame Pelicot did it, we can do it”. I don’t want them to be ashamed anymore. The shame is not ours to have, it’s theirs. (…) I want my example to serve others. »
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