Latest news with #GiselePelicot
LeMonde
2 days ago
- General
- LeMonde
French court to hear only one appeal in the mass rape case of Gisele Pelicot
A French appeals court will hear the appeal from only one of the 51 men convicted over the mass rape of Gisele Pelicot orchestrated by her now ex-husband Dominique Pelicot, a judicial source said on Tuesday, June 3. Dominique Pelicot was convicted in December 2024 of recruiting strangers over almost a decade to sexually abuse and rape the heavily drugged Gisele Pelicot, in a case that made her a global feminist icon after she insisted that the trial be held in public. 50 other men, the strangers he recruited online to carry out the abuse alongside him, were also convicted in a trial that saw no acquittals. Dominique Pelicot did not appeal his term of 20 years jail for aggravated rape. But 17 of the other defendants initially lodged an appeal. 16 of them have withdrawn their appeals over the last months, said a source close to the case, asking not to be named. The final three such moves to withdraw appeals were made on Tuesday. This means that the appeals trial that gets underway in the southern city of Nimes this autumn will only examine the case of Husamettin D., 44, sentenced to nine years in prison at the trial in December. He will only contest the length of his sentence for rape and not his guilt. The appeals trial, initially scheduled for October 6 to November 21, should therefore be significantly shorter − if it even takes place. Husamettin D. has the right to withdraw his appeal right up until the opening of the hearing. Dominique Pelicot would likely be called as a witness at the appeals trial. He also faces possible further trials in separate cases after being charged over an attempted rape in 1999 and the rape followed by murder in 1991 in Paris of Sophie Narme, a 23-year-old real estate agent.
Al Jazeera
28-05-2025
- Health
- Al Jazeera
French surgeon sentenced to 20 years for sex abuse of nearly 300 people
A French court has sentenced a retired surgeon to 20 years in prison for raping or sexually abusing nearly 300 victims, many of them children under anaesthesia, over 25 years of his career in another case of years-long abuse that has rocked the nation. The conviction and sentencing on Wednesday in the Brittany court capped what is widely seen as the worst case of abuse of children that has ever gone to trial in modern France. It comes after 51 men were convicted of taking part in the decade-long mass rape of a woman, Gisele Pelicot, in southern France in what many advocates hoped would be a watershed #MeToo moment for those seeking justice against their abusers. Throughout the most recent trial, 74-year-old Joel Le Scouarnec admitted to raping or sexually abusing 299 patients – including 256 victims under the age of 15 – as he worked in hospitals in western France. The attacks took place from 1989 to 2014, many while his patients were under anaesthesia or waking up after operations. All told, Le Scouarnec was charged with 111 rapes and 189 sexual assaults in the case, which began in February. Throughout the trial, Le Scouarnec told the court he committed 'despicable acts'. 'I owe it to all these people and their loved ones to admit my actions and their consequences, which they've endured and will keep having to endure all their lives,' he said at one point. But victims, lawyers and advocates who gathered at the courthouse throughout the trial and on Wednesday for the verdict said they put little stock in Le Scouarnec's words of contrition. 'You are the worst mass paedophile who ever lived,' Thomas Delaby, one of about 60 lawyers representing the victims, said during the trial. He described Le Scouarnec as an 'atomic bomb of paedophilia'. Delaby told Le Scouarnec the victims 'will never forgive you, never'. Le Scouarnec had previously been convicted in 2020 for raping and sexually assaulting four children, including two of his nieces. He was already serving a 15-year sentence as the current trial played out. The 20-year sentence is the maximum possible. In France, sentences are not served consecutively. In the United States, prosecutors noted, Le Scouarnec would have been sentenced to '2,000 years'. The case has raised questions about France's publicly run health system and how Le Scouarnec was able to act with impunity for so many years. Advocates have demanded to know why he was allowed to continue working in public hospitals despite being convicted in 2005 of downloading images of child sexual abuse. At the time, he received a suspended jail sentence. The extent of Le Scouarnec's abuse was revealed only after his rearrest in 2017 on suspicion of raping his 6-year-old neighbour. Police then discovered electronic diaries that appeared to document decades of abuse in painstaking detail. In his notes, the doctor described himself as a 'major pervert' and a 'paedophile'. 'And I am very happy about it,' he wrote. Wednesday's verdict was handed down during what some hope will be a wider reckoning over sexual abuse in France and what some see as social mores that enable such crimes. In December, a court in the southern French city of Avignon convicted 51 men of the years-long rape and sexual abuse of Pelicot, who refused to remain anonymous during the proceedings and whose clear-eyed testimony resonated among the French public. 'I've decided not to be ashamed, I've done nothing wrong,' she testified during the trial. 'They are the ones who must be ashamed.' Among those convicted was Pelicot's ex-husband, 72-year-old Dominique Pelicot, who prosecutors said orchestrated the drugging and raping of his wife for nearly a decade.
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Gisele Pelicot's daughter opens up on her thoughts about chemical castration for men like her rapist father
Gisele Pelicot 's daughter has revealed her thoughts on chemical castration, and said it could be a 'solution' for rapists like her father. Caroline Darian's 72-year-old mother Gisele was drugged and mercilessly raped by her husband Dominique Pelicot and dozens of men over a period of nine years. In December, 51 men were finally convicted in the lengthy drugging-and-rape trial that riveted France. Now, speaking to Sky's The Politics Hub in an emotional interview, Caroline told correspondent Ali Fortescue that the UK government 's plans to consider mandatory chemical castration for sex offenders could be 'part of the solution.' 'For my dad, its probably one part of the solution, because, you know, when you're at that level of nothing else you can do. 'So yeah, chemical castration is maybe one part of the solution.' Caroline's remarks come days after the Justice Secretary revealed that chemical castration for paedophiles and other sex offenders will be piloted in 20 prisons. Shabana Mahmood announced the move in the Commons after a sentencing review found the measure was 'worthwhile' as a way to reduce re-offending. Gisele Pelicot 's daughter has revealed her thoughts on chemical castration Speaking to Sky's The Politics Hub in an emotional interview, Caroline Darian told correspondent Ali Fortescue that the UK government 's plans to consider mandatory chemical castration for sex offenders could be 'part of the solution.' Chemical castration is voluntary in Germany, France, Sweden and Denmark, and some sex offenders actively seek it out. The process, currently being piloted in south-west England, includes taking two drugs, one to limit sexual thoughts and the other to reduce testosterone and limit libido. In a statement to the Commons last week, Ms Mahmood said: 'The review has recommended we continue a pilot of so-called medication to manage problematic sexual arousal. 'I will go further with a national rollout, beginning in two regions covering 20 prisons. And I am exploring whether mandating the approach is possible. 'Of course, it is vital that this approach is taken alongside psychological interventions that target other causes of offending, like asserting power and control.' The measure was part of a series of proposals from former justice secretary David Gauke to reform sentencing and ease overcrowding in British jails. Dominique Pelicot, and all but one of his co-defendants were convicted of sexually assaulting Gisele over a period of nearly a decade after he'd knocked her unconscious by lacing her food and drink with drugs. The other co-defendant was convicted of drugging and raping his own wife with Dominique Pelicot's help. Pelicot also took photos of his daughter Caroline naked while she slept. She is now pressing charges against her father, having accused him of drugging her and raping her too. Pelicot has repeatedly denied this. Opening up to Sky about the day her father was arrested, Caroline said: 'In that moment of my life I realised that I didn't [know] the [person] who raised me...I lost a part of me .I lost part of my foundation, part of my education and part of my childhood.' She also said that she 'never ever' thought her father would be capable of committing his horrific crimes, and explained how she had to 'stop loving him as a father.'
Sky News
27-05-2025
- Health
- Sky News
Gisele Pelicot's daughter says chemical castration 'could be part of the solution' for sex offenders
The daughter of Gisele Pelicot has suggested chemical castration could be "one part of the solution" when there is "nothing else you can do" for sex offenders - like her father. Caroline Darian's father Dominique Pelicot admitted repeatedly drugging and raping his wife Gisele between 2011 and 2020, and inviting dozens of other men to their home in southern France to do the same. Gisele decided to waive her right to anonymity to hold the trial of her husband and 50 other men in public, saying: "It is not for us to be ashamed, but for those men." Speaking to Ali Fortescue on The Politics Hub, Ms Darian said the UK government's plans to consider mandatory chemical castration could be "one part of the solution" for men like her father. She said: "It's probably one part of the solution because you know when you're at that level of crime, that level of criminal, there is nothing else you can do." Asked if she believed "men like your father" could be rehabilitated, Ms Darian said "no" and "never". For ten years, Pelicot repeatedly sedated his wife and invited strangers to abuse her after advertising sex with her on a French swinging website. Some denied the rape charges, claiming they believed Gisele had agreed to be drugged and was a willing participant in a sex game between the couple. But all the men charged were found guilty of at least one offence, with nearly all convicted of rape, after a trial that shocked France and made headlines around the world. The defendants were sentenced to a total of more than 400 years, with Pelicot being sentenced to 20 years in prison. Pelicot also took photos of his daughter Caroline semi-naked while she was asleep. Ms Darian is pressing charges against her father, having accused him of drugging and raping her. Pelicot has denied this. Speaking to French media, Beatrice Zavarro, Pelicot's lawyer, said Ms Darian's decision to press charges was "unsurprising". She added that prosecutors had said there were insufficient "objective elements" to accuse Pelicot of raping and using chemical submission on Ms Darian. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said last week that she will pursue "a nationwide rollout" of a scheme being piloted in southwest England to use medication to suppress the sexual drive of sex offenders. 6:02 It came after an independent review, led by the former justice secretary David Gauke, was commissioned by the government amid an overcrowding crisis in prisons in England and Wales. The review recommended that chemical castration "may assist in management of suitable sex offenders both in prison and in the community". Ms Mahmood said she is "exploring whether mandating the approach is possible". The trial is currently voluntary.
The Sun
08-05-2025
- The Sun
I've seen British men making deepfake porn of their own mothers and sisters in secret online forums – they trade them like Pokemon cards
AT 15 years old, Jess Davies felt like her world had ended when she discovered a picture of her in her underwear was being shared around by boys at her school. But, horrifyingly, it wouldn't be the only time she was a victim of picture-based abuse - many years later, her boyfriend would also betray her in the same cruel way. 13 Jess, from Aberystwyth, was working as a part-time model when she found naked photos - which had been taken of her when she was asleep - in a group chat on her boyfriend's phone. She says she quickly deleted the images and accepted it, not realising until years later that it was deeply disturbing and a criminal offence. Now 32, the horrific experiences Jess faced led her to become a women's rights campaigner, raising awareness of online misogyny and images being spread without consent. She told The Sun: "I was so young and it [sharing pics] was something that had been normalised. This is just what happens. It wasn't until I got a little bit older that I realised 'that wasn't right'." Jess, now single, also says there is "so much shame and stigma" towards female victims but that several recent shocking high-profile cases are finally beginning to shine a spotlight on the online abuse women face. Gisele Pelicot, whose husband recruited 72 men online to rape her as she lay drugged, said during his court case, "shame needs to change sides". And Jess could not agree more. 'Traded like Pokémon cards' The Revenge Porn Helpline said it received 22,275 reports of image-based abuse last year, which is the highest it has ever seen. Abuse of women online has been highlighted time and time again as it becomes disturbingly common. Vicky Pattison shares deepfake porn clip of herself as she warns of dangers on C4 doc Jess said most women don't know that pictures of them are even circulating online on Reddit, Discord, Telegram and sick forums like 4chan - famous for its extreme content. While taking a deep dive into the harrowing corners of the internet for her new book, No One Wants to See Your D*ck, she found that some sick individuals had so many nude images of women that they are divided into folders. She says: "People's sons, brothers and friends are trading these photos like Pokémon cards and the women in the images have no idea that someone they trust is doing this. "I saw teachers in there, people making deepfakes of their mothers, their aunts, their sisters. It was crazy. It is happening on such a big scale. You only need one photo to be able to create an explicit deep fake." And no one is safe, even those who have never taken a nude picture, as recent AI development makes it easy for these sick people to "nudify" a woman. With just a profile picture and the click of a button, AI can remove clothes from an innocent photo, make it more seductive or even swap a person's head onto a naked body - creating incredibly realistic deepfakes. "These nudify bots post on their sites that they're getting millions of people using them a day. "Millions of women don't know that they've been turned into explicit deepfakes. And then it's like, 'How do you keep track of that? How do you report that?' "Of course, it's not all men. I have so many great men in my life and my family. But it's not just a select few either." In 2024, nearly 4,000 celebrities were found to be victims of deepfake porn, including actresses Scarlett Johansson and Emma Watson. Speaking about deepfake, Scarlett said: "Nothing can stop someone from cutting and pasting my image or anyone else's onto a different body and making it look as eerily realistic as desired. The fact is that trying to protect yourself from the Internet and its depravity is basically a lost cause." And with AI technology advancing so rapidly, most police forces are struggling to find a way to deal with the influx of online abuse cases. 13 13 13 13 Jess says: "I think there's just such a feeling of entitlement over women's bodies. Most women don't know this has happened to them. "And yet, if you go into the forums, there are hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of women - every day you'll find new images being posted of women who are being turned into explicit deepfakes, mostly by men and boys that they know." Describing what she saw while looking into these vile forums, Jess said the photos are divided into locations for men to search for specific women. "So it'd be like North Wales girls and Cumbria, Edinburgh," Jess adds. "It's like, 'Anyone got Jess Davies from Aberystwyth' and someone will be like, 'Yeah, I do. I've got so and so I'll trade you'." Others play sick games between them, such as 'Risk'. One will post an image online, and if another 'catches' them by responding within five minutes, they then have to reveal the woman's full name and socials. Jess has even seen her own modelling images used online for scams, porn sites, escort services and sex chats. 'You know these men' While this might seem like anonymous men in shadowy corners of the internet, these are people women know and likely trust. "These are men that know women personally, because they're men from your hometown. "When you walk down the street or pop to the shops, or you're at the school gates, that could be someone who's actively trading your images without consent that you don't know of. It's like Pokémon cards, right? It's like, Oh, who have you got? I've got this. I'll send that. It's like you've got a sticker book that you're all trading photos for Jess Davies "These are men that we know who are all doing this. And then we have to exist alongside them. It's crazy that this is happening. "It's like Pokémon cards, right? It's like, 'Oh, who have you got? I've got this. I'll send that'. It's like you've got a sticker book that you're all trading photos for. And yet it's the women still that you're angry at." Jess said whenever a survivor of this abuse speaks out, she's immediately slammed as being "irrational". "Why are you more angry at women speaking up about their lived experiences than the men who are giving you a bad name? "It's not just some man's behaviour living out online. It's showing what they would do if they could be anonymous in real life." Jess pointed to the harrowing case of Gavin Plumb, who was jailed for trying to kidnap, rape and murder celebrity Holly Willoughby. His sick scheme was organised on forums and not one person reported him until an undercover police officer came across the twisted plot. 13 13 His desires were fulled by deepfake porn shared online with others who shared his vile perversions. Jess also pointed to the French case of Gisele Pelicot, a rape victim who waivered her anonymity to stand against her own abusive husband. She says: "Her husband found 50 plus men to rape his unconscious wife. He found them on forums." 'It's never in the past' Jess refuses to go on dating apps and finds dating difficult because of all she has suffered. She has seen the worst of men when venturing into shadowy corners of the internet, seeing content that would leave anyone shaken. When Jess was a teenager, a photo she shared with a boy she trusted made its way through the entire school and the football team. Classmates texted her saying, "nice pictures, didn't think you were that type of girl", mocking her as she sat in art class. Later, when she was a student and modelling part-time, her boyfriend took a photo of her while she was sleeping naked. Jess saw it on his phone when he was in the shower - he had posted it in a group chat with his friends. She deleted the image that was taken without her knowledge or permission but never confronted him, thinking "that is just what happens". The Welsh activist said the trauma of being a victim of image-based abuse is lifelong and she still feels the impact today. "A lot of women are suicidal when it comes to this. It's something that they carry around with them every single day. "One victim said to me, I can't say I've got PTSD. Because it's never in the past, because you're always thinking, 'Where was it shared before that, or who might have it, and who might upload it again?'" Jess said most people don't even realise what they're doing is illegal. What are deepfakes? Here's what you need to know... Deepfakes use artificial intelligence and machine learning to produce face-swapped videos with barely any effort They can be used to create realistic videos that make celebrities appear as though they're saying something they didn't Deepfakes have also been used by sickos to make fake porn videos that feature the faces of celebrities or ex-lovers To create the videos, users first track down an XXX clip featuring a porn star that looks like an actress They then feed an app with hundreds – and sometimes thousands – of photos of the victim's face A machine learning algorithm swaps out the faces frame-by-frame until it spits out a realistic, but fake, video To help other users create these videos, pervs upload "facesets", which are huge computer folders filled with a celebrity's face that can be easily fed through the "deepfakes" app While in recent years there has been a better grasp on what consent means in the physical world, the same can't be said for the digital world, she explains. Jess says: "If you're a woman online, then you're probably going to be sexually harassed and receive threats. You might have your images stolen. It's like 'Oh, well, that's just what happens'. "There seems to be a free-for-all when it comes to women's bodies, specifically that they can do anything they want." Schoolboys are creating deepfakes of their classmates, and Jess has spoken to girls who talk about being bullied into sending nudes. She thinks misogynistic ideology being picked up by teenagers stems from online content and masculinity influencers like Andrew Tate. "Obviously Andrew Tate's the loudest one out there. But there are so many of them. A lot of teenage boys think that's funny and are reading it every single day. 13 13 13 "We might see a one-minute TikTok, but they're doing hours and hours of live streams every single day into the bedrooms of these teenage boys. "These live streams are unchecked, unregulated. They can say anything they want." Teenage boys being radicalised through online content was recently highlighted by Netflix's hit drama Adolescence. In the fictional series, a teen boy murders a girl who rejected him. He had asked her out when she was vulnerable after having her private photos shared at school - and he was outraged that she would dare refuse him. And while Jess praised the production, she noted how frustrating it is that it took a fictional TV show about a man, written by men, to draw attention to the problem. "Women have been shouting about this for many years about what's happening and trying to draw attention. "Every single day there are real-life stories in the news of women losing their lives at the hands of male violence, or being followed and experiencing sexual harassment and sexual assault. And that wasn't what spurred people's empathy. "It's a sad reflection of how we need men as part of the conversation. "Because a lot of men don't want to listen to women when we're talking about this. So that's why we need men to join the conversation." No One Wants to See Your D*ck is available to buy from today. You're Not Alone EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers. It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes. And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women. Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now. That is why The Sun launched the You're Not Alone campaign. The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives. Let's all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You're Not Alone. If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support: CALM, 0800 585 858 Heads Together, HUMEN Mind, 0300 123 3393 Papyrus, 0800 068 41 41 Samaritans, 116 123
