Gisele Pelicot outside court after her ex-husband was sentenced in late 2024. Photo: Miguel MEDINA / AFP
By David Courbet and Philippe Siuberski, AFP
Gisele Pelicot, the French woman who became a feminist hero during a mass rape trial last year, has returned to court to tell the one man who still denies assaulting her that he must "take responsibility" for his actions.
The 72-year-old's former husband has admitted to drugging her with sedatives and inviting dozens of strangers to rape and abuse her over nearly a decade in a case that shocked the world.
Last year, a court in southern France handed Dominique Pelicot, 72, the maximum term of 20 years in jail. He and 49 other men convicted in the case are not appealing their sentences.
But one man, 44-year-old Husamettin Dogan, has maintained his innocence, arguing that he, too, is a victim of Dominique Pelicot.
Gisele Pelicot, who famously argued that it should be the perpetrators of sexual violence, not the victims, who should be ashamed, rejected his argument outright.
"You are in no way a victim of Mr. Pelicot. Take responsibility for your actions. I am ashamed of you!" she said in court in the southern city of Nimes on the third day of the appeal trial.
"I am the only victim," she said.
"At what moment did I give you my consent?" Gisele Pelicot added. "Never."
Pelicot, who has been greeted with applause at each of her arrivals in court since the trial opened on Monday, said she hoped never to return back to a courtroom.
"The damage has been done, and I will have to rebuild myself from the ruins," she said.
"I am well on my way."
'True trap'
Dogan was sentenced to nine years in prison for rape at the original trial. He now risks a maximum of 20 years in jail.
Dogan says he was not a "rapist" and insists he thought he was participating in a libertine couple's sexual game on June 28, 2019.
Both investigators and Dominique Pelicot have taken his arguments apart.
A total of 107 photos and 14 videos from the night Dogan visited the couple's home in the southern town of Mazan were found on a hard drive belonging to Dominique Pelicot.
Some of that footage, which shows Dogan penetrating an inert Gisele Pelicot and also trying to force her to perform oral sex on him, was shown to the court on Wednesday (local time).
Despite the video evidence, Dogan defended himself, saying he "never raped anyone".
He tried to shift the blame onto Gisele Pelicot's former husband, saying he felt "trapped".
"I wanted to stop," Dogan said. "I continued because he reassured me."
"He's the manipulator, not me," he added.
On Tuesday, Dominique Pelicot, who was taken from prison for the hearing, told the court that he "never forced anyone" to participate in his scheme, and Dogan knew his wife would be "asleep".
Jean-Marc Darrigade, Dogan's lawyer, said it took his client "time to realise he had fallen into a true trap."
"It must be acknowledged that he never returned, whereas others returned twice, three times, up to six times," he added.
'I am an ordinary woman'
Since the first trial, Gisele Pelicot has become an icon in the fight against sexual violence, and her case has set in motion a change to France's rape legislation.
But speaking in court, Gisele Pelicot pushed back against being called a symbol.
"Stop saying I'm an icon," she said. "I'm an ordinary woman who has lifted the veil of secrecy."
She reiterated that she hoped that sharing her story would help other victims feel less ashamed.
"If one morning these women wake up and don't remember, they will think of me," she said.
On Tuesday, lead investigator Jeremie Bosse-Platiere attacked Dogan's arguments, citing the graphic video footage.
He said that he had remained at the scene for "at least three hours and 24 minutes", according to the video timeline.
Gisele Pelicot is astounded by Dogan's "continued denial, despite the material evidence", said her lawyer Antoine Camus.
The verdict is expected on Thursday (Friday NZ time).
- AFP
