With Guilty Verdicts, Victim’s Rape Ordeal in France Becomes a Message of Hope
The New York Times
Dozens of men who abused Gisèle Pelicot were convicted, including the man who invited them to do so: her husband of 50 years. She wanted the public trial to show rape victims they were not alone.
In a packed courtroom in Avignon, France, the head judge asked each of the dozens of men accused of raping Gisèle Pelicot — while she was near-comatose, and at the invitation of her husband of 50 years — to stand briefly. Then he pronounced their convictions swiftly, one after the other: all guilty.
By the time it was over, every one of the 51 accused men had been convicted, most of them for raping Ms. Pelicot in her own bedroom. Her husband, Dominique, 72, who had admitted to drugging her over nearly a decade to abuse her, was the only one to get the maximum sentence of 20 years.
The rest were given sentences mostly ranging from six to nine years.
And with that, the trial that has both horrified and captivated France for almost four months ended with a victory for the woman at its center, Ms. Pelicot, who became a feminist icon for her bravery in allowing the case to be tried publicly. That decision allowed the case to more fully expose the horrors of rape in a country where #MeToo hardly gained traction.
After it was over, she stepped out into a swarm of French and international reporters and hundreds of supporters eagerly awaiting her, who held up signs of appreciation and cheered when she emerged. There were so many of them that they stopped traffic on the road outside the courthouse. “Justice for Gisèle, justice for all,” one sign read. Another proclaimed, “All the women on Earth support you. Thank you Gisèle.”
As she has throughout the trial, Ms. Pelicot retained her trademark poise, giving a simple statement about her decision to allow the world to witness the painful details of her rapes, rather than keep them private as is allowed by French law. Her goal was to force discussions of rape, including those facilitated through the use of drugs.
Israel has said it is striking Syrian military sites and chemical weapons stockpiles to prevent them from falling “into the hands of extremists.” The rebels who toppled the Assad government began laying out their plans.
The fighters who forced Bashar al-Assad into exile began the complex task of governing the Syrian capital. New York Times reporters entering the country saw relics of the deposed regime on the highway from Lebanon.
After just a few days of rapid advances, the rebels appeared to control Syria’s capital. They said they would work with a top official in President Bashar al-Assad’s government. Mr. al-Assad’s location was unclear.
A centuries-old bell rang and an archbishop knocked at the Gothic cathedral’s great doors, which reopened for a V.I.P. ceremony after its monumental reconstruction. It opens to the public on Sunday.
Two war monitoring groups said Syria’s military had pulled out of a number of Damascus suburbs where anti-government protests erupted. The movements could not immediately be confirmed.
President Yoon Suk Yeol said he would not seek to impose martial law again and that he would leave his fate to his party. Lawmakers will vote on whether to impeach him later on Saturday.
The leader of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s own party has backed impeachment, on which the National Assembly is set to vote on Saturday.
The military has spent decades trying to rehabilitate its image and win public trust after a brutal past. Its role in President Yoon’s martial law raised a specter from that era.
Top military officials offered the first inside account of when President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law. Mr. Yoon faces impeachment on Saturday, and massive protests against him are planned.
President Yoon Suk Yeol’s attempt to break a political deadlock by imposing military rule collapsed within hours, leaving him with few defenders. A vote to impeach him could come as soon as Friday.
President Yoon Suk Yeol’s attempt to break a political deadlock by imposing military rule collapsed within hours, leaving him with few defenders. A vote to impeach him could come as soon as Friday.