Gisèle Pelicot speaks in Frankfurt on public rape trial and early education

Address at the Frankfurt Book Fair

Gisèle Pelicot spoke before an audience at the Frankfurt Book Fair on Wednesday to reflect on her recovery, her memoir, and her public court proceedings. The 73-year-old French author stated that she seeks to meet her former husband and abuser at some point in the future. She noted that she has not spoken with him alone for years and acknowledged that such a meeting might yield neither remorse nor clarity. Pelicot explained that facing him directly is nevertheless an essential step in completing her personal path. Her remarks follow the release of her memoir, titled 'A Hymn to Life', which was published in February.

I think I may not get any explanations or answers, but that is part of my path.

The legal proceedings and public testimony

The case stems from nearly ten years during which Pelicot was systematically drugged with sedatives by her then-husband, who assaulted her and recruited strangers to rape her in their home. In 2024, a French court sentenced her former husband to 20 years in prison for his actions. The judicial panel also convicted 50 other men, mostly for aggravated rape, sentencing them to prison terms ranging from 3 to 15 years. Pelicot rejected closed-door judicial proceedings, insisting on an open trial that established her as a prominent feminist figure across France. Her legal counsel had cautioned her that a public trial would be exceptionally grueling, but she resolved to see the trial through to its conclusion.

I told myself, if I am locked in with these 50 rapists in the courtroom, then I will feel ashamed and they will not. And I want to emphasize that it is not the victim who should feel shame.

Confronting trauma and moving forward

Pelicot described living through a decade of near-unconsciousness, comparing her experience to being under general anesthesia for hours at a time before fighting to reclaim her life. For a long period, she refused to watch video evidence of the assaults because she was not prepared to confront the graphic recordings. When she eventually viewed the tapes, she described the footage as barbaric and stated that she could not recognize herself on screen, perceiving the person in the videos as a rag doll. Pelicot also shared that she has rebuilt her ability to trust and found a new romantic relationship. She encouraged others to allow themselves the right to love, noting that love is the most beautiful element in life while maintaining that she remains vigilant.

Calls for early education and societal change

Addressing cultural attitudes toward sexual misconduct, Pelicot cited a recent abuse case at Cornell University in the United States to argue that society remains dominated by macho norms. She called on women to take on greater positions of power and overcome fear in daily life. Pelicot emphasized that preventing abuse requires targeted parental and social intervention at an early age. She stressed that education must focus on young boys to ensure they understand that women and partners cannot be treated as objects.

We must educate our children very early. You have to educate the little children, the boys. You have to show them, a woman is not an object, their girlfriend is not an object.