Drugged gang rape case has led tens of thousands to take to the streets across France to demand consent law

PARIS, November 24 — Tens of thousands of people demonstrated against violence targeting women in major French cities on Saturday as campaigners pressed the country to learn from the gang rape case that shocked the public.

The investigation into 51 men in the southern city of Avignon is in its final stages; dozens of men, including one who drugged his wife for a decade and are accused of accepting an invitation to abuse her in their home.

“The more we are, the more visible we are, this is an issue for everyone, not just women,” Peggy Plou, an elected official in the Indre-et-Loire region of western France, said on the street. Trip to Paris.

Thousands of people marched in the capital alone, mostly women but also children and men. Police said attendance was 12,500, while organizers said it was 80,000.

While police sources said that 35,000 people participated across the country, organizers stated that this figure was 100,000.

Hundreds of people also attended in other major cities such as Marseille in the south, Lille in the northeast and Rennes in the northwest. Local officials in Bordeaux in the southwest estimated attendance at 1,600.

Many demonstrators carried signs bearing various versions of the slogan “Shame must switch sides,” popularized by Gisele Pelicot, one of the plaintiffs in the Avignon case.

Despite its painful content, she became a feminist hero by choosing public hearings rather than trying her case behind closed doors.

law reform

“The law on consent needs to come into force very quickly. Retired nurse Marie-Claire Abiker, 78, who was walking in Paris, said that just because someone doesn’t say anything doesn’t mean they accept sexual intercourse.

France’s legal definition of rape calls it “any act of sexual penetration committed by violence, restraint, threat or surprise,” but does not include any language regarding consent; this is a key demand of women’s rights groups, especially in the wake of the MeToo movement launched in the late 2010s.

“In 2018, it was basically just women (demonstrating). Let’s say today there are 30 percent men. This is really great news,” said Amy Bah, a member of the feminist group NousToutes (We are all women) protesting in Lille.

“I think this is my job too; each of us has a role to play, especially men,” said 38-year-old Arnaud Garcette at the demonstration held in Marseille’s historic port with his two children.

“We are at the source of the problem, and we are at the source of the solutions,” he added.

The demonstrations, called by more than 400 campaign groups, took place two days before the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, which will be held on Monday.

Equality Minister Salima Saa promised “concrete and effective” measures to coincide with the global day.

Prime Minister Michel Barnier will announce measures including increased training for police officers and more support for victims of domestic violence who have fled their homes, according to a report Sunday in the weekly Tribune Dimanche.

Campaigners who organized Saturday’s protests are calling for broader measures to tackle the problem, including a 2.6 billion euro ($2.7 billion) special budget and a stronger legal framework.

During his first term as president of France, Emmanuel Macron has promised to prioritize the cause of equality between men and women and work to eliminate violence against women. —AFP