Gisèle Pelicot faces one of her rapists in court again

The victim of collective rape in France, Gisèle Pelicot, returns to the court on Monday to confront one of the attackers, the only man to appeal the trial sentence last year, where a total of 51 accused of raping her while she was appointed, by his anesthesia by her husband, in his family’s home.

At that time, Madame Pelicot’s general position was seen as a possible motivational moment in combating sexual violence. But in France, this optimism seems to be wither.

“I will break your head if you don’t leave now,” a man standing outside a medieval church in Mazan, the picturesque city where Giselle and Dominic Pelicot once lived.

He just heard me asking an elderly woman about the impact of the Pelicut issue on France, and while threatening to destroy the camera as well, he now explains that the city is tired of linking it to one of the most rape experiences in the world.

A few days ago, the mayor of Mazan released a gentler version of the same argument, in a general statement that described the ordeal of Gisèle Pelicot that lasted years ago as “a special issue … we have nothing to do with it.”

One can well understand Mayor Luis Bonnet’s desire to protect his city’s reputation and tourism. But it seems that it is worth noting that a year ago, he had occupied newspapers throughout France after he told me twice, in an interview, that he wanted to “pick up” the danger of Gisèle Pelicot because he “did not kill”, and no children participated.

It should also be noted that all the women who spoke with him in Mazan last week did not share the mayor’s desire to see Pelicot, in the first place, something “exceeds”.

A cigarette smokes at a shaded entrance that is not far from the church, a 33 -year -old civilian, who gave her name in the name of Aurélie, spoke with an unwanted bitterness.

“No one is talking about it, even here in Mazan. It seems as if this didn’t happen,” she said.

Walking close to the cats of the sun’s bathrooms, Auror Paralyse, 68 years old, was equally keen on talking, but he took a different look at Pelicot case.

“The world is developing. France is developing.” With the help of Madame Pelicot? “Yes. It was a batch, for women to speak freely,” she concluded categorically.

All over France, there is no doubt that the propaganda resulting from the design of Gisèle Pelicot worldwide that “shame must change the two sides” – from the victim to the rapist – has provided an additional momentum to a campaign against sexual violence already activated by Metoo.

“I would like to say that changing behavior is something that takes generations. [But] Alessa Aharabari, who is erecting a network of 50 feminist organizations in France, said:

“Yes, France has changed. [number of] Rape complaints have multiplied three times, indicating that the victims – women and girls – speak and want justice, “Celine, a spokesman for the NGO” agreed to be feminist. “

However, the energy and optimism that flooded Gisèle Pelicot last December, as it came out of the Avignon court and a group of supporters, did not lead to many objective changes in the way the French state addresses the issue of sexual violence.

In fact, there is a close consensus between activists and experts that things are deteriorating instead.

“Unfortunately, the government does not interact,” said Celine Becks, referring to statistics that show that condemnation rates are leaking despite a sharp rise in the reported rape.

“The picture is dark. There is a violent reaction. The ideas of the culture of rape are very strongly. We can see this with the movement of masculinity, which is popular, especially with young children and adolescents,” Alessa Aharabari added.

In the midst of a financial and political crisis in France, with high debts, and the countries that have five prime ministers in the past two years, the government strongly defended its record, saying it made “decisive” changes, including triple spending in this field in the past five years – “an unprecedented increase.”

However, a reckless Senate report this summer concluded that the government “lacks a strategic compass”, when it comes to processing rape and other forms sexual violence. The Council of Europe was also very important, recently, because France’s efforts to protect women.

A source in a good situation told us that even the data of the number of rapes reported in France was unreliable due to the excessive complex bureaucracy.

Sometimes, it will provide another small tremor story of optimism.

In Dijon, a 60 -year -old was arrested on charges of anesthetizing his wife to others to rape her, in August after he called one man to participate, and later called the police, after complaining about her approval.

The alleged victim’s lawyer Mary Christine Klabing told us that she was “sure” that knowing the Pelicot case, and the fear of falling into something similar, pushed that phone call.

In May, French movie star Gerard Depardio was sexually assaulted by two women, while many lawyers and activists praised him as a large strike against a wide -scale impunity culture, allowing powerful men to abuse women.

“This might mean something,” said Illoudia Tukelon Hippon for the BBC, because he was very protected, [even] By President Macron, “who seemed to be defending the actor at some point. Mrs. Toylon Hippon, a lawyer for his headquarters, who had previously participated in the trial of Depardio.

“I don’t think Pelicot has changed anything at the judicial levels and the police,” said Emmanuel Rifier, a lawyer who also specializes in rape cases. She cited the suitability of chronic employees, as well as a lack of police training and specialization.

Now Gisèle Pelicot is returning to court in the southern city of Nim to confront one of the men convicted of raping her.

“She feels that she needs to be there and has a responsibility to be there until the procedure ends completely,” her lawyer, Stefan Babono explained to me.

The true effect of her decision to waive her right to not reveal his identity may not be clear for many years, but lawyer Elodie Tuailon-Hebon does not tend to be optimistic.

She concluded that “I changed some things. But it is in reality very few,” and compared sexual violence in France to “the war that women and children waged every day.”

“We still have a lot of changes on (making).”

I asked her if she was surprised that Pelicot had no deeper effect.

“No. It is not surprised at all because, well, France. The culture of rape is a deeply rooted thing in our society. And until it is taken into account seriously as the issue of public policy, it will not change.”

With additional reports by Mariana Bessney