Gisele Pelicot: Finding Sisterhood at France's Mass Rape Trial

[Beringia]

https://newlinesmag.com/spotlight/gisele-pelicot-finding-sisterhood-at-frances-mass-rape-trial/

Article by Diane de Vignemont, a historian-turned-journalist based in Paris

This week, prosecutors demanded the maximum 20-year jail sentence for Dominique Pelicot, 14 years for Nicolas F. and four to 18 years for his co-defendants. Feminist organizers, though, have been warning Gisele’s supporters that they need to psychologically prepare themselves for much lighter sentences. The French legal system, they argue, has lagged behind civil society, and Gisele’s lack of consent is far from the only thing at play. “With this trial,” her lawyer told the court, “my client wants to make visible not just the crudeness of rape, but also the way in which a rape is defended in 2024.”