French Survivor's Memoir Reveals Horrific Discovery of Husband's Decade-Long Rape Crimes
In a powerful new memoir that has captured global attention, Gisele Pelicot recounts the devastating moment when French police revealed the horrifying truth about her husband's crimes. Now 73 years old, Pelicot is sharing her story publicly for the first time in her book A Hymn to Life, Shame Has to Change Sides, following the landmark 2024 trial that made her a symbol in the fight against sexual violence.
The Day Everything Changed
The memoir takes readers back to November 2, 2020, when Pelicot accompanied her husband Dominique to a police station after he was caught secretly filming women in a supermarket. At that time, she still believed she was married to what she described as "a super guy." Instead, she walked into what would become one of France's most shocking criminal cases.
"I am going to show you photos and videos that are not going to please you," officer Laurent Perett warned her, as recounted in the book. The first image showed a woman in a suspender belt being raped by a man. "That's you in this photo," the officer revealed.
A Decade of Systematic Abuse
Prosecutors revealed that Dominique Pelicot had been drugging his wife by lacing her food and drinks for nearly a decade, rendering her unconscious. He then invited strangers into their home to rape her while he filmed the assaults. The photos and videos presented to Gisele showed evidence spanning years of systematic abuse.
"I didn't recognize the individuals. Nor this woman. Her cheek was so flabby. Her mouth so limp. She was a rag doll," Gisele writes in her memoir. "My brain stopped working in the office of Deputy Police Sergeant Perret." She describes learning that fifty-three men had come to their house to rape her while she was unconscious.
Landmark Trial and Verdicts
The subsequent trial ended in December 2024 with guilty verdicts for all 51 defendants. Dominique Pelicot and 49 other men were convicted of rapes and sexual assaults spanning nearly a decade. Another man was convicted of drugging and raping his own wife with Dominique Pelicot's assistance.
The sentencing was severe:
- Dominique Pelicot received the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison
- The other men received sentences ranging from 3 to 15 years
- Only one defendant appealed, and saw his rape sentence increased from 9 to 10 years
A Public Trial for Justice and Solidarity
What set this case apart was Gisele Pelicot's decision to reject a closed-door trial. She insisted the proceedings be public, explaining in her book excerpts published by Le Monde that accepting secrecy would have protected her abusers and left her alone with them in court.
"No one would know what they had done to me. Not a single journalist would be there to write their names next to their crimes," she writes. "Above all, not a single woman could walk in and sit in the courtroom to feel less alone."
She admits that if she had been 20 years younger, she might not have had the strength to demand a public trial. "I might not have dared to refuse a closed-door hearing," she writes, reflecting on the societal pressures women face regarding judgment and appearance.
A National Reckoning
The case has sparked a national reckoning in France about rape culture and victim shaming. Pelicot's memoir and public statements emphasize that shame should not belong to the victim but to the perpetrators. Her story has become a powerful testament to resilience and the importance of speaking out against sexual violence, even decades after the abuse occurred.
The book extracts published by Le Monde and covered by The Associated Press have brought renewed attention to the case that shook France and highlighted systemic issues in how society addresses sexual violence against women.
