Avignon rape trial: photos and videos are shown

Rape victim Gisèle Pelicot has prevailed legally in France: In the court case against her ex-husband and 50 other alleged rapists, journalists and trial visitors will now be able to see the photos and videos of the acts of sexual violence. This is a “victory,” said the 72-year-old Pelicot’s lawyers on Friday in Avignon, southern France.

Presiding Judge Roger Arata reversed an earlier decision. However, the photos and videos should only be shown “if it serves to find out the truth,” said Arata.

Gisèle Pelicot’s lawyers welcomed the decision. “The public debates can help ensure that other women do not end up in this situation,” emphasized the lawyer Stéphane Babonneau. Several lawyers for the defendants had spoken out in vain against the presence of spectators and journalists. “What’s the point of showing these disgusting films?” asked lawyer Olivier Lantelme.

From the outset, Gisèle Pelicot advocated that the trial not take place behind closed doors as originally planned. “Shame has to change sides,” she emphasized. They will regularly be applauded on the way to and from the courtroom.

Her ex-husband Dominique Pelicot confessed to repeatedly drugging his wife with sleeping pills and raping her over the years. In at least 92 cases, strangers who Dominique Pelicot had contacted in internet forums were also involved. The defendants faced prison sentences of up to 20 years.

In the past few days of the trial, several of the co-defendants had denied the accusation of rape. Some explained that they had the impression that the woman was just pretending to be asleep. Another describes himself as a “victim” of Dominique Pelicot and emphasized that he acted out of fear of him.

Another suspected that he had also been given drugs because he couldn’t remember anything. Dominique Pelicot, however, emphasized several times: “They all knew.”

In September, several photos and videos that Dominique Pelicot had taken of the crimes were shown in court for the first time. There was an “Abuse” folder on his hard drive with numerous subfolders labeled with the other men’s pseudonyms.

The first time, the audience had to leave the hall, but journalists were able to stay. The presiding judge later decided that journalists should not see the images either. The lawyers of both Gisèle and Dominique Pelicot protested against this.