Gisèle Pelicot boldly condemned the horrific crimes committed against her as the only man who appealed his sentence for raping her had his punishment increased. The 72-year-old woman endured nearly a decade of terrible sexual abuse after her ex-husband drugged her and allowed strangers to assault her while she was unconscious. Throughout this ordeal, Gisèle stood strong, urging all victims not to feel shame or guilt for crimes committed against them.
At the trial in Nîmes, southern France, Gisèle told the court she had no regrets about demanding justice, saying the damage was done but she was determined to rebuild her life. She encouraged victims to never feel responsible for what happened. Among the 51 men convicted in this case, Husamettin Dogan, a 44-year-old father who originally received a nine-year sentence, saw his jail time extended to ten years.
In his appeal, Dogan claimed he was manipulated by her ex-husband and insisted that the sexual encounter had been consensual. However, the court reviewed chilling footage showing Dogan assaulting her while she lay unconscious and snoring. Judges also learned that she was at risk of suffocation during the attack. Gisèle confronted Dogan directly in court, telling him to acknowledge the truth that he had raped her without consent.
Watching the evidence in court left a lasting impression on Gisèle as she described the scenes being etched into her memory. For years, she thought her memory loss was an illness but later realized she had been drugged into a coma. She now lives with serious health consequences, including multiple lifelong sexually transmitted infections that require ongoing treatment.
The crimes only came to light after her ex-husband was arrested in 2020 for secretly filming under a woman’s skirt at a supermarket, which uncovered the appalling abuse. Gisèle Pelicot’s courage and refusal to stay silent continue to inspire victims worldwide to seek justice and healing.