Latest news with #DominiquePelicot
Muscat Daily
6 days ago
- Muscat Daily
Gisele Pelicot awarded France's highest civilian honour
Paris, France – Gisele Pelicot, the French woman whose courage in publicly testifying about the decade-long sexual abuse she endured made her a symbol of women's rights in France, has received the country's highest civilian honour. Pelicot was named a knight of the Legion of Honor in a list published on Sunday, ahead of France's Bastille Day celebrations. She joins 588 others on this year's list. Case that shocked France Pelicot gained international recognition after she testified against her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, who had drugged and raped her and invited strangers to assault her for more than a decade. Dominique Pelicot was convicted last year of aggravated rape and sentenced to 20 years in prison. In a landmark ruling, a court in Avignon sentenced his 50 co-defendants to prison terms ranging from three to 15 years. Encouraging survivors of sexual assault The case shocked France and reignited a national debate over sexual violence and legal protections for victims. Pelicot, who insisted the trial be held publicly, has been praised for helping push for reforms in France's rape laws. Following the trial, the French Senate passed a bill that includes a lack of consent in the country's criminal definition of rape. In her closing statement at the trial of the 51 men accused of raping her, Pelicot said: 'It's time that the macho, patriarchal society that trivialises rape changes… It's time we changed the way we look at rape.' DW
Times of Oman
6 days ago
- Times of Oman
Gisele Pelicot awarded France's highest civilian honour
Gisele Pelicot, the French woman whose courage in publicly testifying about the decade-long abuse she endured made her a symbol of women's rights in France, has received the country's highest civilian honor. Pelicot was named a knight of the Legion of Honor in a list published Sunday, ahead of France's Bastille Day celebrations. She joins 588 others on this year's list. Case that shocked France Pelicot gained international recognition after she testified against her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, who had drugged and raped her and invited strangers to assault her for more than a decade. Dominique Pelicot was convicted last year of aggravated rape and sentenced to 20 years in prison. In a landmark ruling, a court in Avignon sentenced his 50 co-defendants to prison terms ranging from three to 15 years. Pelicot encourages survivors of sexual assault The case shocked France and reignited a national debate over sexual violence and legal protections for victims. Pelicot, who insisted the trial be held publicly, has been praised for helping push for reforms in France's rape laws. Following the trial, the French Senate passed a bill that includes a lack of consent in the country's criminal definition of rape. In her closing statement at the trial of the 51 men accused of raping her, Pelicot said, "It's time that the macho, patriarchal society that trivializes rape changes… It's time we changed the way we look at rape."
DW
6 days ago
- DW
Gisele Pelicot awarded France's highest civilian honor – DW – 07/14/2025
Pelicot's landmark case led to reforms in France's rape laws after she bravely testified about enduring a decade of sexual abuse. Gisele Pelicot, the French woman whose courage in publicly testifying about the decade-long sexual abuse she endured made her a symbol of women's rights in France, has received the country's highest civilian honor. Pelicot was named a knight of the Legion of Honor in a list published Sunday, ahead of France's Bastille Day celebrations. She joins 588 others on this year's list. Pelicot gained international recognition after she testified against her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, who had drugged and raped her and invited strangers to assault her for more than a decade. Dominique Pelicot was convicted last year of aggravated rape and sentenced to 20 years in prison. In a landmark ruling, a court in Avignon sentenced his 50 co-defendants to prison terms ranging from three to 15 years. The case shocked France and reignited a national debate over sexual violence and legal protections for victims. Pelicot, who insisted the trial be held publicly, has been praised for helping push for reforms in France's rape laws. Following the trial, the French Senate passed a bill that includes a lack of consent in the country's criminal definition of rape. In her closing statement at the trial of the 51 men accused of raping her, Pelicot said, "It's time that the macho, patriarchal society that trivializes rape changes… It's time we changed the way we look at rape." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
BBC News
7 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Gisele Pelicot awarded France's Legion of Honour
Gisèle Pelicot, the French woman who earned international recognition after publicly testifying at her mass-rape trial last year, has been given France's top 72-year-old was named knight of the Legion of Honour on a list announced ahead of France's Bastille waived her right to anonymity during the high-profile trial against her husband who had drugged and raped her, in addition to inviting dozens of strangers to also abuse her over nearly a was among 589 other people given France's highest award on Sunday. She attended almost every day of the trial, which ended last December with Dominique Pelicot, 72, being given a maximum 20 years in jail for aggravated rape, after confessing to drugging her and recruiting around 50 men to rape her while she lay comatose in bed."I want all women who have been raped to say: Madame Pelicot did it, I can too," Pelicot previously told reporters, adding that she wanted to make "shame swap sides" from the victim to the President Emmanuel Macron has publicly paid tribute to Pelicot as a trailblazer, adding that her "dignity and courage moved and inspired France and the world".According to her lawyer, a memoir detailing Gisèle Pelicot's story in her own words will be published early next year.
Telegraph
7 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Gisèle Pelicot to receive Legion of Honour
Gisèle Pelicot will receive the Légion d'honneur, France's highest civic order, for her bravery in the fight against sexual violence. Ms Pelicot, 72, became a figurehead for the global feminist struggle after waiving her anonymity in the trial of her former husband Dominique Pelicot and 50 other defendants who were accused of drugging and raping her repeatedly over the course of a decade. At the time, Ms Pelicot's lawyer told the court that she had waived her anonymity so that her perpetrators be known publicly, insisting that 'shame must change sides' in sexual violence cases, and her image became famous worldwide. The Légion d'honneur is the most prestigious national order of merit recognising outstanding military and civilian service to France and its ideals. Established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, the honour has been held by some of France's most notable figures, including Josephine Baker, the French Resistance spy and performer, and Nicolas Sarkozy, the former president. As the grand master of the Légion d'honneur, the French president has the final say on who is admitted to the order but in practice the awards are mostly decided by ministers. The order has five classes, ranging from knight (chevalier) to grand cross (grand-croix) in order of distinction. Ms Pelicot is one of 589 people awarded the Légion d'honneur in a decree published on Sunday in the Journal Officiel and is to be elevated to the rank of knight. In December, judges in the French city of Avignon sentenced 72-year-old Dominique Pelicot to 20 years in prison. Ms Pelicot said afterwards: 'I wanted... to ensure that society could see what was happening. I never have regretted this decision. I have now faith in our capacity to collectively take hold of a future in which everybody... can live together in harmony, respect, and mutual understanding.' Well-wishers commended her bravery from all over the world. Queen Camilla, a long-standing campaigner on domestic and sexual violence, was said to be 'tremendously affected' by Ms Pelicot's ordeal and wrote a letter to recognise her 'extraordinary dignity and courage'. Ms Pelicot has since retreated from public life and began writing a memoir, A Hymn to Life, which will be published in January 2026. Also awarded the distinction this year is Pharrell Williams, the American singer, music producer and designer, whose recent Louis Vuitton show at Paris Fashion week attracted a star-studded cast of observers including Jay Z, Beyoncé, Steve McQueen and Spike Lee. The Légion d'honneur can be conferred upon foreign nationals who have served France or the ideals it upholds, though membership in the Légion is technically reserved for French nationals only. Among the other French nationals granted the honour this year are the historian Mona Azouf, the actress Léa Drucker and the rock musician Jean-Louis Aubert, as well as a host of significant former politicians, academics and people in the legal field. Recipients must have shown outstanding merit in activities benefiting France or the public interest, hold a good character, and are proposed by a minister or at least 50 members of the public. Recipients can also be stripped of the award in the event that they are convicted of a crime or undertake any action 'likely to harm the interests of France', as was the case with disgraced Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein in 2017.
