Devastated grandmother Gisele Pelicot finally reached her breaking point, leaving the Avignon courthouse in the middle of proceedings on Wednesday.
Gisele, 72, has been forced to relive a decade of abuse at the hands of her ex-husband Dominique Pelicot and 49 other alleged rapists during the mass abuse trial that has taken place in the French city since early September.
Dominique has already admitted to drugging his ex-wife, allowing dozens of men to rape her while she slept, and filming the abuse for his own pleasure.
Since the beginning of the proceedings, Gisele has been seen as a symbol of strength, who does not hesitate for a moment when she has to go through the testimonies of those accused of raping her.
But the testimony of one man, Vincent C., proved too much for the septuagenarian, who had to leave with the help of a psychologist.
Vincent C., a carpenter described by Le Monde as an ‘alcoholic, pot smoker, occasional cocaine user and already convicted of domestic violence’, denied the charge of aggravated rape, but admitted having sex with her.
Gisele Pelicot (pictured) has been forced to relive ten years of abuse by her ex-husband Dominique Pelicot and 49 other alleged rapists
Dominique (photo) has already admitted that he made his wife Gisele unconscious and then invited dozens of men to rape her
Dominique Pelicot arrives at court on the morning of October 3
He told the court how he visited the infamous coco.fr forum that Dominque Pelicot used to organize the mass rapes: ‘It happened very quickly. I logged in and an appointment was made half an hour later.’
Gisele left immediately after complaining about how little “choice” he had in the options for having sex with people using the forum: “It’s not a supermarket either, is it, Coco!”
Despite this, he visited Mazan’s house at least twice, according to Dominique’s carefully kept files: once on October 27, 2019, and again on January 11, 2020.
When asked why he didn’t wonder what Dominique was organizing, Vincent C. said: ‘I was looking for a friend. I don’t think so at times like that.’
He added that he believed Dominique’s invitation to rape his wife was the same as him being invited by her as well.
A woman holds a sign that reads: ‘Victim, we believe you rapist, we see you’, during a silent march in support of Gisele Pelicot
People take part in a march in and around Mazan, southeastern France, to support Gisele Pelicot and protest violence against women, on October 5, 2023
“When the man says to me, ‘She’s gone to bed, we’re going to wake her up,’ the question of consent disappears from my mind,” he said.
When asked if he knew there was no consent by proxy, he simply replied, “At that moment I thought I was satisfying the couple more than I was.”
The mass trial, which is expected to last until the end of the year, continues.
Dominique has already admitted it leaving his wife Gisele unconscious and then inviting dozens of men to rape her in an abuse campaign waged over a decade.
She courageously gave up her right to anonymity to unmask the alleged perpetrators in a case that has shocked the world.
People take part in a march in support of rape victim Gisele Pelicot on October 5, 2024 in Mazan, France
A banner reading ‘support for Gisele’ displayed on the walls of Avignon on October 10, 2024
Over the past four weeks, the French have come out in droves to support her, with many organizing protests across the country.
One was held in Gisele’s hometown of Mazan, where a hundred people marched through the city in support of her.
During the Avignon trial, man after man was heard claiming that Pelicot had ‘seduce’ them into participating in his twisted fantasies of raping and humiliating his wife – many of which were filmed.
Pelicot enjoyed watching strangers abuse his wife and made home movies and took photographs.
The vicious attacks only came to light when he was caught upskiing women in a local supermarket. A subsequent police search of his home revealed thousands of photos of his wife in a computer file labeled “Abuse.”