Gis猫le Pelicot on confronting shame and finding hope
Gis猫le Pelicot鈥檚 bravery during the rape trial of her husband and 50 men made her an icon.
***This episode contains distressing details of rape and sexual assault***
Gis猫le Pelicot earned international recognition after waiving her anonymity at her mass-rape trial in 2024, in which her former husband, Dominique, was sentenced to 20 years in jail for drugging her and inviting dozens of other men to their home in the south of France to rape her while she was unconscious.
In court, Gis猫le Pelicot bravely faced her abusers, and in public, she stood stoically in defence of sexual assault survivors, saying that, 鈥渟hame must change sides鈥.
The 麻豆社鈥檚 Victoria Derbyshire talks through her recent interview with Gis猫le Pelicot, as her memoir, A Hymn to Life, is published.
If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, you could speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support. Details of help available in many countries can be found at befrienders.org. For a list of organisations in the UK that can provide support, go to bbc.co.uk/actionline.
Producer: Hannah Moore
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
(Photo: Gis猫le Pelicot in Paris, France. Credit: Dmitry Kostyukov/麻豆社 Newsnight)
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