Gisèle Pelicot's power, and Dominique Pelicot's shame | Girl on the Net

Have you heard of Gisèle Pelicot? You must have by now, surely. You must have heard of the woman who stood up publicly and showed everyone exactly where the shame lies in a rape case. Gisèle’s husband, Dominique Pelicot, drugged her repeatedly and invited strangers into their home to rape his unconscious wife over a period of almost a decade. There are 50 other men who have all been found guilty today , and more who have still not yet been identified. Despite the enormous stress of publicly naming your assailants, Gisèle Pelicot waived her anonymity in this case, to ensure that people knew not just what had been done but crucially who had done it. Gisèle Pelicot taught a world that desperately needed to hear it that ‘shame must change sides.’ So as we celebrate her breathtaking heroism, let’s also spend some time discussing Dominique Pelicot’s shame. Ever since I first read about this case, I have talked about it in awestruck tones with other women. We say the name Gisèle Pelicot with hushed reverence and often tearful respect. Usually when I try to write about the valiant women who manage to fight back against their rapists from within a system that too often fails them, I end up flailing and struggling to find the words. Here more than at any other time, I am desperate to write this right. How can I - how can anyone - possibly write about Gisèle Pelicot in a way that does justice to her power? Most of us will fail, and I will for sure. But I want to try anyway. Note that this piece includes detailed discussion of rape, drugging and assault. Dominique Pelicot’s shame When news outlets write about this case they - understandably - focus on the rapes. The multiple, aggravated rapes that happened over the course of almost a decade. They focus on the fact that Dominique Pelicot drugged his wife and invited strangers into their home to rape her. They add in some of the sordid details about the ways he instructed them to avoid smelling of aftershave or cigarettes, wear condoms, avoid leaving marks or bruises, so that when Gisèle woke up she would be none the wiser. When I think about this case, the thing I find myself focusing on is the visits to the doctor. Gisèle Pelicot, having been repeatedly drugged for a period of years, started suffering extreme effects from the tranquilisers that her husband had been surreptitiously adding to her food and drink. She had blackouts. Headaches. She started losing her hair. Lost control of one of her arms. She thought that perhaps she was suffering from early onset Alzheimer’s. She underwent several neurological tests. Dominique Pelicot helped her book an appointment with a specialist. He used to drive her to her appointments. What does it take for somebody to do that? What does it take to not just remain silent but actively work to build a false reality to deceive the...

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