Gisèle Pelicot, the French victim of almost a decade of drug-facilitated sex attacks masterminded by her former husband, will attend an appeals court in Nîmes, France, on Monday. The court case concerns Husamettin Dogan, 44, the sole one of the 51 men convicted in France’s biggest ever mass rape case to appeal his nine-year prison term.
Dogan, a contractor, was convicted of raping Pelicot when she was unconscious in 2019, having called out to her then-husband, Dominique Pelicot, via the internet chatroom. Appearing at the initial trial, Dogan said that he believed the attack was “just a game” and that he wasn’t a rapist. All other convicted men initially filing appeals eventually withdrew, leaving Dogan as the only appellant.
Pelicot, 72, a retired logistics manager, was a feminist icon after she opted not to remain anonymous when testifying against her husband and 50 other men during the 2024 trial. Her lawyer, Antoine Camus, confirmed that she would be present for the four-day appeal trial even though it would be an emotional challenge. “She will be there to say that a rape is a rape, that there is no such thing as a small rape,” Camus said in an interview with Agence France-Presse.
Dominique Pelicot, one of France’s most notorious sex offenders, received a 20-year prison sentence for systematically drugging his wife and orchestrating dozens of assaults on her over nearly a decade. During the trial, prosecutors revealed that he laced her food and drinks with sleeping and anti-anxiety medications and invited men he met online to rape her while she was unconscious. The abuse was filmed and stored by Dominique in a folder labeled “abuse.”
Who is Gisèle Pelicot?
Gisèle Pelicot, on December 7, 1952, became known for being very courageous in standing up to severe sexual abuse. Between 2011 and 2020, she was raped repeatedly by husband Dominique Pelicot and at least 70 other men he recruited through an internet site targeting abusers. The abuse was first discovered when Dominique was arrested for upskirting women at a local supermarket store, and during the investigation, police found videos of Pelicot raping his victim on his hard drive.
In going public with her identity, Pelicot has brought an international spotlight to the widespread problem of drug-facilitated rape as well as sexual violence in France. The appeal hearing is amid mounting criticism of the way France treats rape cases, with human rights groups pointing to continued systemic failures in safeguarding victims. Pelicot’s public engagement remains to motivate activists and survivors across the globe while the need for justice reforms needs to be addressed urgently.
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Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
