Victim criticizes cowardice of men who allegedly harassed her

France’s patriarchal society must change, Gisele Pelicot told the court at the hearing, criticizing the cowardice of dozens of men accused of abusing her during a 10-year gang rape by her ex-husband.

Her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, admitted in court that he drugged Ms Pelicot, 71, and invited strangers to their home to rape her while she was unconscious. Most of the other 50 men on trial denied rape.

She only learned of her ordeal when police came across videos and images her husband had recorded of the abuse he was accused of orchestrating.

“For me, this is a case of cowardice, there’s no other way to describe it,” Gisele Pelicot said while most of the defendants were in the courtroom. he said.

He is addressing the court in Avignon in southern France for the third time as the trial progresses to deliver verdicts and sentences around December 20.

She left her husband and they are now divorced.

Testimony that dozens of seemingly ordinary men, ages 26 to 74 and from all walks of life, may have raped an unconscious woman attracted worldwide attention and turned the case into an examination of the prevalence of sexual violence.

In the video recorded by her husband and shown in court in recent weeks, Pelicot can be seen repeatedly remaining motionless, sometimes snoring, while some of the defendants abused her.

Most of the defendants told the court that they did not realize they were raping her, did not intend to rape her, or placed all the blame on their husbands, who they said manipulated them.

“It’s time for society to look at this macho, patriarchal society and change the way it views rape,” Ms Pelicot told the court.

Under French law, he could have asked for the hearing to be held behind closed doors. Instead, she wanted it to be done publicly and said she hoped it would help other women speak out and show that victims had nothing to be ashamed of.

“Rape is rape,” he said Tuesday.

Addressing the defendant, he said: “When you enter the bedroom and see a motionless body, at what point do you decide not to react?” “Why didn’t you leave immediately to call the police?”

She said she would never forgive her husband.

On Monday, Pelicots’ two sons asked the court to punish him severely and also said they would never forgive him and that he died for them.

Her sisters said she believed Mr Pelicot had also drugged and abused her.

He was due to address the court later Tuesday. His lawyer, Beatrice Navarro, told reporters he was “very sorry.”

“He did what he did. There’s no doubt about that. But we still have to point out that he’s very lonely right now. He’ll always be very lonely,” he said.