Gisèle Pelicot

Gisèle Pelicot (born 1952) is a French former logistics manager, author, and advocate for sexual assault survivors who became internationally known in 2024 after waiving her right to anonymity as the primary victim in the Pelicot rape case. In the case, her then-husband, Dominique Pelicot, secretly drugged her with sedatives and muscle relaxants from July 2011 to October 2020, rendering her unconscious while he raped her and invited 50 other men—recruited via an online forum called "à son insu" ("Without her knowledge")—to sexually assault her in their home in Mazan, southern France.

The crimes came to light in September 2020 when Dominique Pelicot was arrested for upskirting offenses in a supermarket, leading police to discover thousands of photographs and videos documenting the assaults on his devices. Gisèle Pelicot, who had experienced unexplained symptoms such as memory loss, blackouts, and gynaecological issues during the period of abuse, was shown evidence of the assaults by police.

Insisting on a public trial to raise awareness about drug-facilitated sexual assaults and to shift shame from victims to perpetrators, Pelicot waived her right to anonymity and a closed-door hearing. The trial took place in Avignon from September to December 2024, where 50 of the 51 defendants—including Dominique Pelicot—were convicted of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault against her. Dominique Pelicot received the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, while the other defendants received sentences ranging from 3 to 15 years.

Following the trial, Pelicot has spoken publicly about her trauma, the betrayal within her marriage (she and Dominique married in 1973, divorced in 2001 and remarried in 2007, with a final divorce in 2024), and her commitment to recovery and dignity. She has three children and seven grandchildren, and the revelations strained family relationships, though she has worked toward reconciliation. In February 2026, she published her memoir A Hymn to Life (original French title emphasizing that shame must change sides), which details her life, the abuse, the trial, her healing process, and finding new love.

Her decision to go public and her testimony have made her a feminist icon, inspiring global discussions on consent, marital rape, chemical submission, and support for survivors. She has given interviews to major outlets, received widespread support, and been honored for her courage in confronting her abusers and advocating for systemic change.

Early life and background

Birth and origins

Gisèle Pelicot, née Gisèle Marie Françoise Guillou, was born on 7 December 1952 in Villingen-Schwenningen, West Germany, where her father, a French military serviceman, was stationed in the post-war occupation zone. She moved to France at the age of five and grew up in modest family circumstances in the Indre department. Her childhood was marked by the death of her mother from a brain tumor when she was nine years old. Pelicot is French by nationality.

Early career

Gisèle Pelicot began her professional career at Électricité de France (EDF), the French national electricity supplier, starting in a short-term secretarial position that was extended into full-time employment.

She progressed through several roles within the company, including positions in budget forecasting and human resources, before advancing to an executive position in logistics.

Her work in logistics focused on services related to France's nuclear power plants, a field in which she spent decades prior to her retirement.

Pelicot served as a logistics manager at the state electricity company during her professional tenure.

Marriage and family life

Marriage to Dominique Pelicot

Gisèle Pelicot married Dominique Pelicot in 1973, at the age of 20. They had met two years earlier when she was 19, during a visit to her mother's village, where she described falling in love with him at first sight. She has recalled Dominique as shy, sweet, and her first love, with the couple waiting several months before becoming intimate, a period she viewed as marked by mutual respect.

The couple built a long marriage based on mutual support, standing by each other through professional challenges, health issues—including Dominique's cancer—and family life. Gisèle emphasized that this commitment reflected her understanding of marriage as enduring "for better or for worse." To those around them, including friends and family, their relationship appeared happy and stable, often characterized by a lively home filled with guests and shared joys.

After decades together, the couple retired to a house in Mazan, southern France. Their marriage lasted nearly 50 years until Dominique Pelicot's arrest in September 2020. Gisèle has reflected that the outwardly perfect picture of their life made the later revelations particularly shocking. She and Dominique subsequently divorced.

Children and grandchildren

Gisèle Pelicot is the mother of three children and grandmother to seven grandchildren.

The revelation of the abuse and the subsequent public trial have strained family relationships, with her children describing the impact as devastating and having profoundly affected family dynamics.

Divorces

Gisèle Pelicot and Dominique Pelicot first married in April 1973. They divorced in 2001 to protect assets from his creditors but continued living together and remarried in 2007. Following the discovery of the offenses in 2020, Gisèle filed for divorce in 2021. The couple had lived together for nearly 50 years prior to their final separation. The second divorce was officially finalized in 2024, days before the trial began. After the final divorce, Pelicot resumed using her maiden name, Guillou.

The Pelicot rape case

Period of abuse (2011–2020)

The abuse of Gisèle Pelicot by her then-husband Dominique Pelicot took place over a nine-year period from 2011 to 2020. During this time, he secretly drugged her without her knowledge, rendering her unconscious and enabling repeated sexual assaults against her. Pelicot later described the ordeal as resulting in "10 years of her life that have been lost," reflecting the profound impact of the sustained drugging and associated trauma.

The abuse ended in 2020 when the crimes were discovered following Dominique Pelicot's arrest for unrelated offenses.

Methods and scale of assaults

The assaults on Gisèle Pelicot were facilitated through chemical submission, a practice involving the surreptitious administration of psychoactive substances to incapacitate the victim and prevent resistance or awareness. Dominique Pelicot crushed anti-anxiety medication and sleeping tablets—some prescribed to Gisèle herself—along with muscle relaxants into her food and drinks, including mashed potatoes, coffee, and ice cream, rendering her unconscious or heavily sedated, often described as being "on an operating table." This allowed him to undress, assault, and re-dress her without her knowledge upon waking.

Pelicot recruited additional perpetrators through an anonymous online forum called "à son insu" (French for "without her knowledge") on the unmoderated chat website Coco.fr, where he solicited men by posting about seeking "pervert accomplices" to abuse his sedated wife, initially framing it as a consensual fetish scenario while concealing the drugging.

The assaults took place primarily at the couple's home in Mazan, southern France, over nearly a decade, involving Dominique Pelicot and more than 50 other men who were invited to rape or sexually assault Gisèle while she was incapacitated. Some participants returned multiple times, contributing to the extensive scale of the abuse. The crimes were documented in thousands of videos and photographs taken by Dominique Pelicot.

Discovery and initial evidence

The crimes were uncovered in September 2020 when Dominique Pelicot was arrested for secretly filming up women's skirts in a supermarket in Carpentras, southern France. A security guard spotted his suspicious behavior—using a camera hidden in a bag—and alerted police, leading to his detention on 12 September 2020.

During questioning, Pelicot admitted to the upskirting offenses. Police confiscated his two mobile phones and searched his home in Mazan, seizing additional devices including his computer and hard drive.

The search revealed thousands of photographs and videos documenting repeated sexual assaults on his wife, Gisèle Pelicot, over nearly a decade. These materials, stored on his devices, included explicit footage of the incidents—often recorded in the couple's bedroom—and related communications showing coordination of the assaults.

This discovery prompted a broader investigation that later identified numerous other perpetrators involved.

Criminal investigation

Arrest of Dominique Pelicot

Dominique Pelicot was arrested on 12 September 2020 after being caught attempting to take upskirt photographs of women at a Leclerc supermarket in Carpentras, southeastern France.

A security guard identified Pelicot's suspicious behavior on CCTV, observing him positioning his phone to film under the skirts of three unsuspecting women, and confronted him directly. The guard seized Pelicot's phone and restrained him until police arrived, noting Pelicot's visible fear and panic during the confrontation.

One of the targeted women, who had been alerted by the guard that Pelicot was following her, later filed a formal complaint with local police, which directly precipitated his arrest.

The arrest stemmed from these upskirting offenses and prompted police to seize Pelicot's electronic devices and search his home, where they discovered extensive evidence documenting the abuse of his wife Gisèle Pelicot (see Discovery and initial evidence).

Police findings and identification of perpetrators

The police investigation expanded significantly after Dominique Pelicot's arrest in September 2020 for upskirting offenses in a supermarket in Carpentras, southern France. Authorities seized his hard drive, laptop, and phones, uncovering thousands of images and videos depicting the sexual assaults of his wife, Gisèle Pelicot.

Investigators also recovered thousands of text messages, chatroom conversations, and Skype exchanges that detailed Pelicot's coordination of the assaults. These communications revealed that Pelicot recruited participants via the Coco.fr website, using a chatroom called "without her knowledge" (French: "à son insu") to advertise opportunities to engage in sexual acts with his unconscious wife. After initial contact on the site, discussions shifted to Skype for preparatory video calls—during which Pelicot showed his wife to verify participants' intentions—and then to text messaging for logistical details such as arrival times and instructions.

By tracing these digital records—including pseudonyms, interaction histories, and travel arrangements—police identified and located approximately 50 co-defendants who had participated in the assaults, many of whom lived in the local area around Mazan. The evidence catalogued by investigators included extensive visual documentation of the crimes alongside the communications trail, which formed the core of the case against the perpetrators.

Trial in Avignon

Decision for public trial

Gisèle Pelicot decided to waive her right to anonymity and insisted that the trial be held in open court, making the proceedings public rather than behind closed doors.

She explained that her decision was driven by a determination to expose the reality of drug-facilitated sexual assault, raise awareness about such crimes, and challenge societal attitudes toward rape. Pelicot stated that she wanted other victims of rape to see her example and recognize that they too could come forward, saying: "I wanted all women victims of rape... to say: Mrs Pelicot did it, we can do it too."

A central motivation was to shift the burden of shame from victims to perpetrators. During her testimony, she declared: "When you’re raped there is shame, and it’s not for us to have shame – it’s for them," and "The shame isn’t ours to feel, it’s theirs."

Pelicot described her choice not as an act of bravery but as "will and determination to change society," aiming to provoke broader reflection on rape culture and to ensure that shame "changes sides."

Her lawyers emphasized that the public nature of the trial was intended to force debate on these issues, show "the crude reality of rape," and contribute to ending such violence, with Pelicot herself expressing no regret over the decision.

This choice resulted in the highly visible proceedings in Avignon from September to December 2024.

Proceedings (September–December 2024)

The proceedings in the Pelicot case unfolded at the Vaucluse criminal court in Avignon from September to December 2024, constituting a public trial involving 51 defendants, including Dominique Pelicot and 50 other men accused of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault facilitated by chemical submission. The open courtroom format, insisted upon by Gisèle Pelicot, drew significant public and media attention, with supporters gathering daily outside the courthouse and applauding her arrival.

Gisèle Pelicot attended nearly every hearing and delivered testimony that became a focal point of the proceedings. She described her profound trust in her former husband over their long marriage, expressing total incomprehension at his actions and the betrayal involved in inviting strangers into their home. She stated, "I wouldn’t have stayed 50 years if he had behaved like a violent brute... This case for me is total incomprehension," and reflected on everyday gestures like receiving raspberry ice cream in bed that she had interpreted as affection. Pelicot emphasized her status as a victim bearing no responsibility and articulated her determination to shift shame away from survivors, saying, "When you’re raped there is shame, and it’s not for us to have shame – it’s for them." She described her motivation for a public trial as a means to inspire other victims and challenge societal attitudes toward rape, noting, "It’s true that I hear lots of women, and men, who say you’re very brave. I say it’s not bravery, it’s will and determination to change society." Her testimony elicited applause in the courtroom.

Testimony from relatives and acquaintances highlighted how the abuse remained undetected for years. On October 9, 2024, witnesses including Gisèle Pelicot's son-in-law Pierre Peyronnet described her noticeable health deterioration, such as difficulty reaching her by phone, incoherent speech when contact was made, and frequent daytime sleeping attributed to her husband. Dominique Pelicot's brother Joël Pelicot, a doctor, testified about the widespread ignorance of drug-facilitated sexual assault in medical contexts, noting that Gisèle's symptoms—including memory loss, momentary absences, and gynecological issues—were not linked to the cause because "you only find what you look for – and you only look for what you know." These accounts underscored the challenges in identifying such crimes.

The hearings progressed with individual questioning of defendants, particularly intensive in the final stages. By mid-November 2024, after 10 weeks of proceedings, the remaining defendants were questioned, with video evidence frequently played during examinations to confront them with recordings of the events. Many accused denied committing rape, claiming they had been misled by Dominique Pelicot about consent or that they themselves had been deceived or subdued. Responses varied: some expressed frustration or distress, others provided vague or hesitant answers, and a few acknowledged the acts while contesting their criminal nature. The questioning proved emotionally taxing for all involved, with expert input such as psychiatric evaluations occasionally presented.

Throughout the trial, lawyers for Gisèle Pelicot described the proceedings as a deliberate public forum to expose the "crude reality of rape" and confront persistent defense strategies that minimized accountability. They noted the exceptional public support for Pelicot contrasted with the isolation many rape victims experience in court.

Verdicts and sentences

On 19 December 2024, following a three-month trial, the criminal court in Avignon convicted all 51 defendants of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault in connection with the drug-facilitated attacks on Gisèle Pelicot.

Dominique Pelicot, the principal perpetrator who drugged his wife and recruited the other men, was found guilty on all charges—including aggravated rape, attempted aggravated rape of another woman, and recording indecent images—and sentenced to the maximum penalty of 20 years' imprisonment.

The 50 co-defendants were also convicted, with 46 found guilty of rape, two of attempted rape, and two of sexual assault. Their sentences ranged from three to 15 years' imprisonment, tailored to individual factors such as the frequency of their participation, degree of involvement as shown in video evidence, criminal records, and personal circumstances, with some receiving suspended terms or lighter sentences than those requested by prosecutors.

Aftermath and advocacy

Public statements and media interviews

Following the conclusion of the trial in December 2024, Gisèle Pelicot delivered a statement outside the Avignon courthouse expressing gratitude to her supporters, family, and the journalists who covered the proceedings respectfully. She emphasized solidarity with other victims of sexual violence, stating that she had opened the trial to the public so society could engage with the issues raised, and affirmed that she had never regretted that decision.

In subsequent media interviews, Pelicot spoke candidly about the profound betrayal she experienced after nearly five decades of marriage to Dominique Pelicot, describing the revelation that her husband—whom she described as "loved by everyone"—had orchestrated the abuse as "terrifying." She reflected on the trauma of viewing footage of the assaults and the emotional impact on her family, while underscoring her resilience and determination to reclaim her life.

Pelicot appeared on BBC Newsnight, where she declared "I am a survivor" and attributed her strength to her inherent resilience. She described the ordeal as "inconceivable," noted that she felt "crushed by horror" yet harbored no anger, and spoke of rebuilding her life with a focus on moving forward. In the interview, she highlighted her choice to waive anonymity as a deliberate act to shift the narrative around sexual violence.

In a Guardian interview, Pelicot discussed her commitment to dignity and joy despite the betrayal, revealing that she had found new love and friendships that restored hope. She framed her public stance as a "mission" to expose such crimes and challenge societal attitudes toward rape survivors.

On NPR's The Sunday Story, Pelicot rejected shame as belonging to the perpetrators rather than victims, emphasizing the pain of discovering the abuse and its harm to her family while advocating for greater awareness and support for survivors of drug-facilitated sexual assault.

In October 2026, speaking at the Frankfurt Book Fair, Pelicot said she wanted to meet her former husband "at some point, no matter what," though she did not expect explanations or answers. She described having lived "as if under general anaesthesia for many hours" and needing to reclaim that life. After initially being unable to watch the videos of the assaults, she found she could not register what she saw or recognize herself, likening her appearance to "a rag doll," and stated that "You cannot begin to describe what I saw. It is barbaric." Pelicot reported that she had been able to trust and love again after meeting a wonderful man, asserting that one must grant oneself the right to love as "the most beautiful thing in life" while remaining on guard. She emphasized that it is not the victim who should feel ashamed and called for educating young children, especially boys, that a woman is not an object and must be respected, as well as for women to take on more power and be less afraid.

Memoir A Hymn to Life

Gisèle Pelicot published her memoir A Hymn to Life: Shame Has to Change Sides on February 17, 2026.

The subtitle draws from her statement at the opening of the 2024 Avignon trial, "Shame must change sides," which became an international rallying cry to shift the burden of shame from victims of sexual violence to perpetrators and enablers.

In the book, Pelicot recounts her life over five decades, tracing her marriage to Dominique Pelicot, the nearly decade-long period during which he secretly drugged her and facilitated her repeated rape and sexual assault by over fifty other men in their home, the 2020 discovery prompted by a police phone call after his arrest for unrelated offenses, the public trial in 2024 where she waived anonymity, and her subsequent emotional healing.

She frames her account not as a victim's narrative but as a witness's testimony, emphasizing survival, courage, resilience, and a reclaimed passion for life in defiance of the trauma and betrayal.

The memoir concludes on a note of renewal, detailing her process of recovery, including meeting a new partner named Jean-Loup, falling in love, and moving in together, affirming that "the feeling persists: love is not dead."

Honors and recognitions

In July 2025, Gisèle Pelicot was appointed a knight of the Legion of Honour, France's highest civilian order, in recognition of her courage and advocacy in the fight against sexual violence. The distinction was announced on 13 July as part of the Bastille Day promotions, elevating her to the rank of chevalier.

The award cited her refusal of a closed-door trial in the Avignon proceedings, which transformed her personal ordeal into a public call for accountability and shifted societal focus from victim-blaming to perpetrator responsibility. Pelicot was among 589 recipients in the 2025 promotion, which included other notable figures across various fields.

This formal honor underscored her contribution to broader discussions on consent and survivor support following the Mazan case.

Legacy and cultural impact

Shift in discourse on consent and victim-blaming

Gisèle Pelicot's public stance during and after the trial, particularly her insistence that "shame must change sides," prompted a significant shift in public discourse by redirecting scrutiny from victims to perpetrators in cases of sexual violence. By waiving anonymity and demanding an open trial, she challenged societal tendencies to blame or silence victims, encouraging survivors to reject shame and speak out. This approach contributed to broader discussions rejecting victim-blaming, with experts noting that her actions helped refute the idea that survivors should bear responsibility or remain hidden.

The case accelerated conversations on consent, particularly in France, where it highlighted deficiencies in existing laws that prioritized evidence of force over affirmative agreement. In October 2025, the French Senate passed a law redefining rape and sexual assault as any non-consensual act, with consent defined as "freely given, informed, specific, prior, and revocable," assessed in light of circumstances. The legislation explicitly states that consent cannot be inferred from silence or lack of reaction, addressing common victim-blaming assumptions in prior force-based definitions. The Pelicot trial influenced this reform by exposing how perpetrators exploited unconsciousness through drugging, underscoring the need for laws that negate consent in cases of incapacitation. However, some feminists criticized the change for potentially shifting the burden to victims to prove non-consent, rather than fully centering perpetrator accountability.

The trial also intensified focus on drug-facilitated sexual assault and marital rape, revealing how "chemical submission" enabled prolonged abuse within a long-term marriage. Reports of suspected drug-facilitated assaults increased, with hotlines noting more women recognizing their experiences and coming forward. The case spurred policy responses, including announced measures to improve access to drug testing for potential victims and enhanced training for medical and legal professionals to identify such crimes. It further challenged assumptions about trust in relationships, prompting recognition that marital bonds do not imply automatic consent and exposing how ordinary men could participate in such offenses. These developments contributed to a societal reckoning on rape culture, with Pelicot's visibility helping to normalize discussions of consent and perpetrator responsibility over victim shame.

Status as feminist icon

In 2024, Gisèle Pelicot emerged as a prominent feminist icon after she waived her right to anonymity as the primary victim in the high-profile Pelicot rape case, choosing instead to make the trial public. This decision, made to raise awareness about drug-facilitated sexual assaults and to shift shame from victims to perpetrators, has been widely praised for its extraordinary courage and dignity.

Her poise throughout the proceedings, including her insistence that "shame must change sides" and her determination to confront her abusers openly, transformed her into a symbol of resistance against sexual violence and patriarchal attitudes. Supporters gathered outside the Avignon courthouse to applaud her daily, and her image—often featuring her distinctive red bob and sunglasses—appeared on protest signs, graffiti, and media, elevating her as a relatable figure for many women.

Pelicot has been described as a feminist hero in France and a global icon, inspiring survivors worldwide and earning recognitions such as inclusion on the BBC's 100 Women list for 2024 and symbolic gestures of solidarity, including an Aboriginal scarf sent as a message of support from Australian women. Her actions have contributed to broader shifts in discourse on consent and victim-blaming.