The Pelicot Case Trial Scrutinizes the Victim's Private Life: "Who is the Guilty One?"

"I understand rape victims who prefer not to report. When one tries to do so, they expose the victim and present her as the guilty one." It was five in the afternoon when Gisèle Pelicot expressed her anger at the questions and comments from the defense lawyers. This Wednesday witnessed the most tense day since the trial began on September 2nd in the Avignon Court (southeast of France) for Gisèle Pelicot, 71, who was raped by 83 men over nearly a decade at her husband Dominique Pelicot's instigation, who drugged and sedated her.

The tension coincided with the viewing of pornographic photographs of the victim, allegedly taken by her husband without her consent. It was the first time they were shown in the courtroom, marking a harsh moment for her. Having become a symbol beyond France's borders for her dignity and request that the trial not be held behind closed doors "so that shame changes sides," Gisèle Pelicot endures a common situation in trials about gender-based violence: shifting responsibility and scrutinizing every detail of the victim's private life.

Without public presence—only journalists, lawyers, defendants, and civil parties were authorized—more than twenty pornographic images of Gisèle Pelicot were shown. Another woman, presented by Dominique Pelicot as 'Nadine la libertine,' also appeared in some of them. The photographs depicted Mrs. Pelicot's intimate parts in obscene positions, pornographic scenes with sex toys... They were found among 20,000 videos and photos stored on Dominique's computer, who recorded the 92 rapes his wife suffered from strangers.

A group of defense lawyers had requested their viewing. They argued that in some of them, Gisèle's eyes were open. "All of them were taken without my consent," asserted the main victim. This statement was confirmed by their author, who allegedly shared them in conversations with other users on the libertine website Coco.fr. Additionally, Gisèle Pelicot recalled amnesia problems she suffered after being given overdoses of anxiolytics for years. She spoke about several nights, like a New Year's Eve, which she doesn't remember at all. She also mentioned an incident when she went to her hairdresser, who said to her, "You look just like my grandmother did when she had a stroke."

However, legal representatives of other defendants questioned that version. "I don't understand how these photos can be taken 20 centimeters from the victim without her noticing," said one of the lawyers. "Give me your phone and I'll show you right here," responded a defiant Dominique Pelicot, who had been arrested twice (in 2011 and 2020) for filming under women's skirts in public spaces.

The debates were particularly heated on this 12th day of the trial. After having impressed with her courage and dignity, Gisèle appeared several times angry with the observations and interrogations from the lawyers. "Don't you actually have an exhibitionist side that you don't want to admit?" one asked her. "With all these debates, I feel like I'm the guilty one and there are 50 victims behind me," criticized Gisèle Pelicot. "A rape is a rape," she insisted, referring to controversial statements made by one of the attorneys last week questioning whether his clients had raped since they were not aware of it.

"Who is the guilty one?" she asked rhetorically shortly after. Following an afternoon of tense debates, one of Gisèle's lawyers tried to calm things down as they left the courtroom. "At times she gets angry and is tired," but Mrs. Pelicot "will continue attending hearings," said Stéphanne Babonneau. Despite videos existing and her husband admitting to the rapes, Pelicot is severely questioned, as happens with many other sexual violence victims. "What happened today (Wednesday) is nothing exceptional," acknowledged Babonneau.