Okay, we covered the story in our first-ever opinion piece, but wanted to write a news story with an update on Gisèle Pelicot, this total queen in France. Her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot—major creep alert—drugged her for YEARS and let over 80 men assault her while he filmed everything. Like, WHAT EVEN? It’s all in court now, and girl, the tea is scalding.
Dominique, the worst husband imaginable, kept super-detailed records of his crimes. Police found all these disgusting videos on his computer, and that’s when the whole thing unraveled. He’d been recruiting random dudes online, sending them instructions like it was some twisted game. Ew.
And get this—when the trial started, Dominique tried to act all sorry, asking his family for forgiveness. Um, sir, no one’s buying it.
So, here’s the part that makes Gisèle a literal hero. She could have stayed anonymous, but nope—she said, “Not today, Satan!” She went public with her story to help other women. Like, how amazing is that? She even fought to have the court play the videos to show exactly what happened.
“She wanted shame to change sides,” one woman said during the trial, according to the BBC. Like, YES, queen! Gisèle flipping the script like that has everyone shook.
Oh, and she’s so done with Dominique. She divorced him, went back to her maiden name (because obviously), and is living her truth. Their kids, who are grown now, are standing by her side. Can you even imagine how hard that must be for them?
The courtroom? Total chaos at times. Activists have been rallying outside with signs, demanding justice. And inside, the accused—like 51 of them—tried every excuse in the book. Some said they “didn’t know” she was drugged. Yeah, okay. Her legal team fought to show the videos in court which they said would “undo the thesis of accidental rape” and prove there’s no way they didn’t realise she was unconscious.
Normally, women feel a sense of shame after rape, but Gisèle is flipping the whole vibe. “She turned everything on its head,” someone said in court.
The verdict is coming soon, and fingers crossed these men get what they deserve. Dominique could face serious time, and good riddance. Gisèle, meanwhile, is out here being an icon. She said, “If my story can stop even one person from being hurt like this, it’s worth it.”
Her bravery is inspiring so many people to speak out. “She didn’t just reclaim her life; she’s helping change the world,” one supporter said.
Like, can we all agree? Gisèle Pelicot is the hero we didn’t know we needed.
Check BBC for the whole terrible story.
XOXO,
Valley Girl News
Photo from The Guardian.
