Verdicts are due in the historic French rape trial that turned Gisèle Pelicot into a feminist hero

French judges to deliver verdicts in historic drugging-and-rape trial, turning victim Gisèle Pelicot into feminist hero.

French judges plan to deliver hugely anticipated verdicts on Thursday (December 19, 2024) in a historic drugging-and-rape trial that has turned the victim, Gisèle Pelicot, into a feminist hero.

Everything about the trial in the southern French city of Avignon has been exceptional, most of all Ms. Pelicot herself.

She has been the epitome of steely dignity and resilience through the more than three months of appalling testimony, including extracts from her now ex-husband's sordid library of homemade abuse videos.

Dominique Pelicot carefully catalogued how he habitually tranquilized his wife of 50 years during their last decade together, so he and dozens of strangers he met online could rape her while she was unconscious.

Staggeringly, he found it easy to recruit his alleged accomplices. Many had jobs. Most are fathers. They came from all walks of life, with the youngest in his 20s and the oldest in their 70s. In all, 50 men, including Dominique Pelicot, stood trial for aggravated rape and attempted rape. Another man was tried for aggravated sexual assault.

“They regarded me like a rag doll, like a garbage bag," Gisèle Pélicot testified in court.

Sifting through the charges, the evidence, the backgrounds of the accused and their defenses took so long that Dominique and Gisèle Pelicot had birthdays during the trial, with both turning 72.