Gisèle Pelicot, the woman at the centre of France's largest rape trial, has said she was "crushed by horror"

Gisèle Pelicot, now 73, has become a global symbol of resilience after revealing the unimaginable betrayal she suffered for nearly a decade. In her first major televised interview and newly released memoir, A Hymn to Life Shame Has to Change Sides" released February 2024, she described the moment police showed her evidence of her own abuse as a descent into absolute horror. 

For 50 years, she believed she was in a happy marriage with Dominique Pelicot, only to discover that from 2011 to 2020, he had been systematically crushing high doses of benzodiazepines specifically Temesta into her food and wine to render her unconscious for strangers he recruited online.

The scale of the depravity was uncovered only after Dominique was caught up skirting women in a local supermarket in 2020. Upon searching his computer, investigators found a folder titled Abuses containing thousands of photos and videos of Gisèle being assaulted by dozens of different men. 

Experts estimate she was raped at least 92 times by 72 different men, 50 of whom were eventually identified and brought to trial alongside her husband. 

Gisèle’s health had suffered for years, she experienced unexplained hair loss, weight loss, and memory lapses so severe she feared she had Alzheimer’s, never suspecting the true cause was chronic drugging.

In a move that fundamentally changed the landscape of French justice, Gisèle waived her right to anonymity and insisted that the trial be held in full public view. She famously stated that shame must change sides, refusing to hide behind a curtain while her attackers walked free. 

During the landmark trial in Avignon, which concluded in December 2024, she sat through months of harrowing testimony where many of the 51 defendants claimed they believed she was consenting or that they were simply participating in a "kink" at her husband's invitation claims the court ultimately rejected.

The verdict, delivered on December 19, 2024, saw all 51 men convicted. Dominique Pelicot received the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, while his undefendants received sentences ranging from three to 15 years. 

The trial sparked a national reckoning in France over the legal definition of rape, leading to a historic vote in the French parliament in October 2025 to officially add consent to the nation’s rape laws. 

Previously, French law focused on the use of violence, coercion, threat, or surprise, but Gisèle's case proved that chemical submission required a clearer legal framework.

Today, Gisèle Pelicot continues to advocate for survivors, using her platform to ensure that no woman feels the double sentence of shame following a sexual assault. 

Her journey from a woman who described her former husband as a super guy to an international feminist icon has inspired thousands across the globe. 

As she promotes her memoir in early 2026, she remains a steadfast voice for change, emphasizing that her decision to go public was not for fame, but to ensure that all women who are victims of rape can say to themselves 'Madame Pelicot did it, so we can do it.'