Meet Gisèle Pelicot – The Mazan Rape Survivor and a Feminist Icon now awarded Top Civic Honour

One of the most shocking cases of domestic and sexual abuse in recent years is the Gisèle Pelicot rape case, who was raped by her husband and my 51 men over a period of 9 years stretching from 2011 to 2020. The trial of the decade revealed astonishing and disturbing acts of abuse from all the men, who were sentenced to jail for anywhere between 3 to 15 years while her husband Dominique Pelicot was given the maximum jail sentence of 20 years. 

Gisèle was known for her bravery and voicing out for her safety and abuse survivors and for waiving to maintain anonymity of herself and the trial. This was appreciated and inspiring for millions around the world. She soon became a feminist icon and always sported resilience in the face of turbulence. 

The highest French Civic Honour of the Knight of the Legion of Honour on 14 July, the Bastille Day. Her courage and determination was recognised around the world with Gisèle also named among BBC’s 100 Women list in 2024 and Financial Time’s 25 Most Inspiring Women of the year. 

Gisèle’s abuse came into light after Dominique Pelicot was arrested for upskirting a woman in public and later arrested by the police, who went through his computer that had the disturbing recordings of the rapes. She was drugged by her husband who misused prescribed medicine and overdosed her, which resulted in memory lapse. 

Devastatingly, many of the 50 men were found guilty for raping their own wives and abusing others especially Dominique who admitted to abusing and harrassing a former estate worker in the 70s when he was married to Gisèle.