Latest news with #Pelicot
The Star
18 hours ago
- The Star
‘I want women to know that this kind of thing really happens': Wife-rape survivor in Singapore on telling her story
SINGAPORE: Annie (not her real name) was one of the four victims in a disturbing case where husbands plotted with others to drug their own wives. The unconscious women were then sexually violated. The man Annie married in 2008 – and has since divorced – was among the seven men who have been convicted and sentenced for their involvement in the ring. Annie's former husband, who was referred to as J in media reports, had facilitated the most number of rapes. J got the heaviest sentence of all the men: 29 years in prison and 24 strokes of the cane. Annie, who is in her 40s and has four children, first contacted The Straits Times through her brother-in-law in 2024, after J appealed for a lighter sentence. Accompanied by her sister and brother-in-law, Annie wanted her story told. ST met her a second time in May 2025. By then, all the criminal cases had concluded and her divorce was finalised. Facing an all-female team of print and visual journalists in ST's newsroom studio, Annie was determined to tell her story. 'I was initially a bit worried about speaking up, because I am not sure if I can face the embarrassment... (but) I want women to know that this kind of thing really happens,' she said. She was steadfast, while aware she may be judged, adding: 'I know that in the media, everybody is wondering what actually happened, so I hope I can clear the air.' Annie was also inspired by Ms Gisele Pelicot, a 72-year-old grandmother in France who was raped over a decade by 51 men. Her estranged husband had orchestrated the whole thing. Ms Pelicot waived her right to anonymity during what she called 'a trial of cowardice'. The similarities are striking. Both of them learnt of their husbands' betrayal in 2020. Both were drugged and exploited. And both were manipulated to believe that all was well. 'I felt, 'Why is this thing happening around (the world)? Why are there wives suffering like that?' '(Ms Pelicot) suffered much worse than me, and I really pity her... She is very, very brave,' Annie said. Unlike the Frenchwoman, Annie cannot see herself unveiling her identity any time soon. 'Maybe when I am 80,' she said. Shame changing sides Four words Ms Pelicot said during the trial became a rallying cry for women: 'Shame must change sides.' It echoes with Annie. While the online chatter was largely directed at the perpetrators, the occasional comment shamed her as it emerged in court that she had had an affair with one of the rapists, identified as O. Annie said she slept with him to get back at her ex-husband for affairs he had. She did not have feelings for O; he propositioned her when her relationship with J was at the 'lowest'. 'I felt guilty for doing that. But I felt like I'd been forced to do it,' she said. The victim-shaming she had to endure was not just from strangers or J. J's mother submitted letters to the court pleading for leniency. She portrayed her son as a good family man and made mention of Annie's temper. Annie acknowledged that J did take care of her during their marriage and was not abusive. 'Every time we fought, I was the one who turned abusive. I was the one who wanted to punch him or slap him because I didn't know how to vent my frustration,' she said. But nothing could justify the cruelty of getting five men to rape her. 'Even if you hate your wife so much, you can just divorce her, let her go,' said Annie. J's mother also told Annie's children that it was 'her fault' that their father was in jail. Recalling her former mother-in-law's words, Annie's anger was palpable. 'I hope she can enlighten me. Tell me what kind of fault it is, so that I can avoid it in future.' Prosecutors called the husbands' betrayal 'gut-wrenching'. They said: 'When a woman enters into marriage, she entrusts herself to her husband. 'She trusts that the man she sleeps beside will not harm her as she sleeps, she trusts that in sickness, her husband will not poison her with drugs passed off as medicine, she trusts that her husband will keep private their most intimate sexual moments together.' Instead, the men breached their wives' trust on every front, said the prosecutors. J appealed against his sentence. The man, who was self-represented, told the Court of Appeal that he was appealing out of his love for his wife, children and ageing parents, and that he could not leave his loved ones to 'fend for themselves'. He said he was not denying that he had done wrong, but was asking for leniency. He lost his appeal in January 2024, with Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon describing his sentence as 'lenient'. Annie has not reached out to the other victims involved as she wants to put the past behind her. But she hopes her story can encourage other couples to discuss issues openly between husband and wife. Annie said: 'My advice to all the women out there is to speak up. Don't suffer in silence... don't be like me.' - The Straits Times/ANN
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
‘I want women to know that this kind of thing really happens': Wife-rape survivor on telling her story
Annie (not her real name) hopes her story can encourage other couples to discuss issues openly with each other. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY 'I want women to know that this kind of thing really happens': Wife-rape survivor on telling her story SINGAPORE – Annie (not her real name) was one of the four victims in a disturbing case where husbands plotted with others to drug their own wives. The unconscious women were then sexual ly violated. The man Annie married in 2008 – and has since divorced – was among the seven men who have been convicted and sentenced for their involvement in the ring. Annie's former husband, who was referred to as J in media reports, had facilitated the most number of rapes. J got the heaviest sentence of all the men: 29 years in prison and 24 strokes of the cane. Annie, who is in her 40s and has four children, first contacted The Straits Times through her brother-in-law in 2024, after J appealed for a lighter sentence. Accompanied by her sister and brother-in-law, Annie wanted her story told. ST met her a second time in May 2025. By then, all the criminal cases had concluded and her divorce was finalised. Facing an all-female team of print and visual journalists in ST's newsroom studio, Annie was determined to tell her story. 'I was initially a bit worried about speaking up, because I am not sure if I can face the embarrassment... (but) I want women to know that this kind of thing really happens,' she said. She was steadfast, while aware she may be judged, adding: 'I know that in the media, everybody is wondering what actually happened, so I hope I can clear the air.' Annie was also inspired by Ms Gisele Pelicot, a 72-year-old grandmother in France who was raped over a decade by 51 men. Her estranged husband had orchestrated the whole thing. Ms Pelicot waived her right to anonymity during what she called 'a trial of cowardice'. The similarities are striking. Both of them learnt of their husbands' betrayal in 2020. Both were drugged and exploited. And both were manipulated to believe that all was well. 'I felt, 'Why is this thing happening around (the world)? Why are there wives suffering like that?' '(Ms Pelicot) suffered much worse than me, and I really pity her... She is very, very brave,' Annie said. Unlike the Frenchwoman, Annie cannot see herself unveiling her identity any time soon. 'Maybe when I am 80,' she said. Shame changing sides Four words Ms Pelicot said during the trial became a rallying cry for women: 'Shame must change sides.' It echoes with Annie. While the online chatter was largely directed at the perpetrators, the occasional comment shamed her as it emerged in court that she had had an affair with one of the rapists, identified as O. Annie said she slept with him to get back at her ex-husband for affairs he had. She did not have feelings for O; he propositioned her when her relationship with J was at the 'lowest'. 'I felt guilty for doing that. But I felt like I'd been forced to do it,' she said. The victim-shaming she had to endure was not just from strangers or J. J's mother submitted letters to the court pleading for leniency. She portrayed her son as a good family man and made mention of Annie's temper. Annie acknowledged that J did take care of her during their marriage and was not abusive. 'Every time we fought, I was the one who turned abusive. I was the one who wanted to punch him or slap him because I didn't know how to vent my frustration,' she said. But nothing could justify the cruelty of getting five men to rape her. 'Even if you hate your wife so much, you can just divorce her, let her go,' said Annie. J's mother also told Annie's children that it was 'her fault' that their father was in jail. Recalling her former mother-in-law's words, Annie's anger was palpable. 'I hope she can enlighten me. Tell me what kind of fault it is, so that I can avoid it in future.' Prosecutors called the husbands' betrayal 'gut-wrenching'. They said: 'When a woman enters into marriage, she entrusts herself to her husband. 'She trusts that the man she sleeps beside will not harm her as she sleeps, she trusts that in sickness, her husband will not poison her with drugs passed off as medicine, she trusts that her husband will keep private their most intimate sexual moments together.' Instead, the men breached their wives' trust on every front, said the prosecutors. Helplines Mental well-being Institute of Mental Health's Mental Health Helpline: 6389-2222 (24 hours) Samaritans of Singapore: 1-767 (24 hours) / 9151-1767 (24 hours CareText via WhatsApp) Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019 Silver Ribbon Singapore: 6386-1928 Chat, Centre of Excellence for Youth Mental Health: 6493-6500/1 Women's Helpline (Aware): 1800-777-5555 (weekdays, 10am to 6pm) Counselling Touchline (Counselling): 1800-377-2252 Touch Care Line (for caregivers): 6804-6555 Counselling and Care Centre: 6536-6366 We Care Community Services: 3165-8017 Clarity Singapore: 6757-7990 Online resources (for those aged 13 to 25) (for those aged 12 to 25) J appealed against his sentence. The man, who was self-represented, told the Court of Appeal that he was appealing out of his love for his wife, children and ageing parents, and that he could not leave his loved ones to 'fend for themselves'. He said he was not denying that he had done wrong, but was asking for leniency. He lost his appeal in January 2024 , with Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon describing his sentence as 'lenient'. Annie has not reached out to the other victims involved as she wants to put the past behind her. But she hopes her story can encourage other couples to discuss issues openly between husband and wife. Annie said: 'My advice to all the women out there is to speak up. Don't suffer in silence... don't be like me.' Selina Lum is senior law correspondent at The Straits Times. Christine Tan is a journalist at The Straits Times reporting on crime, justice and social issues in Singapore. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
DW
28-05-2025
- DW
French surgeon gets 20 years for child abuse – DW – 05/28/2025
05/28/2025 May 28, 2025 How the Pelicot trial impacted the Le Scouarnec case Louis-Marie is one of 299 people who were allegedly raped or sexually assaulted by Joel Le Scouarnec. He told the Reuters news agency in February he decided to publicly testify in the trial because he drew inspiration from the courage of Gisele Pelicot, who last year cast aside her right to anonymity when she gave evidence in the trial of her estranged husband who over the years invited dozens of strangers to their home to rape her. "There has been the #MeToo movement, there has been Mrs Pelicot who was extremely brave, and I think she's right, it's not for us victims to feel shame," Louis-Marie told Reuters. Reuters agreed not to publish his surname to protect his family's privacy. The Le Scouarnec case has not recieved the level of attention given to that of Dominique Pelicot, who was jailed last year for recruiting dozens of strangers to rape Gisele. France: Verdict looms in shocking child sexual abuse trial To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Some parties in the Le Scouarnec trial were frustrated that it had not had the impact in France they had hoped for. Some 20 of Le Scouarnec's victims and their relatives staged a protest in front of the court in early May over the "silence of the political world." They demanded "an interministerial commission" to "learn lessons" from the Le Scouarnec case and prevent similar events from happening again. "This trial, which could have served as an open-air laboratory to expose the serious failings of our institutions, seems to leave no mark on the government, the medical community, or society at large," a group of victims said in a statement. "They're trying to make him out to be a monster, but this monster is the society that created him and allowed him to persist," said Manon Lemoine, now 36, one of the victims who Le Scouarnec admits to raping when she was 11. DW does not usually publish the names of victims but is doing so on their instance because they want to raise awareness about sexual abuse.
Euronews
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
French rape victim Gisèle Pelicot's book to be adapted by HBO?
ADVERTISEMENT Gisèle Pelicot, who has become a feminist icon worldwide for her outspoken stance during her ex-husband's trial for raping her and inviting strangers to rape her while drugged, will release her memoir next year. 'A Hymn to Life' will be published in 20 languages on 27 January 2026, stated British publisher the Bodley Head, which is owned by the Penguin group, last month. Now, there have been reports that the Pelicot's book will be adapted to the screen, courtesy of HBO. According to French publication Paris Match, there have been meetings between Pelicot and the streaming company owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. As Le Figaro reported last February, HBO and its streaming platform Max were engaged in a bidding war with Netflix over the rights to adapt Pelicot's book. The exact format and release date of the rumoured HBO treatment is still unknown. It could be a documentary – much like the one Max already released, titled L'Affaire Pelicot. Un procès pour l'histoire ( L'Affaire Pelicot. A trial for history ) - a feature-length fictional treatment or even a multi-episode series. Paris Match reports that there are cameras present on Île de Ré , an island off the west coast of France where Pelicot resides since end of her husband's trial last December. This could indicate that the format will be a documentary – or that there will be a documentary component. Gisèle Pelicot speaks to the press as she leaves the courtroom, in the Avignon courthouse, southern France - Thursday 19 December 2024 AP Photo "I am immensely grateful for the extraordinary support I have received since the beginning of the trial. I now want to tell my story in my own words," Pelicot said in a press release announcing the book, which will be written in collaboration with journalist and writer Judith Perrignon. "Through this book, I hope to convey a message of strength and courage to all those who are subjected to difficult ordeals. May they never feel shame. And in time, may they even learn to savor life again and find peace." Demonstrators hold a poster depicting Gisele Pélicot during an International Women's Day protest in Madrid, Spain - Saturday 8 March 2025 AP Photo Pelicot, 72, won international acclaim last year for her courage during the trial of her former husband, Dominique Pelicot. She had insisted that the trial be held in public and waived her right to anonymity, and in doing so became a symbol of the fight against sexual violence and ignited a national reckoning about the blight of rape culture . She was named one of TIME magazine's Women of the Year last year. A man holds a placard reading "Thank you for your courage Gisele Pelicot" outside the Avignon courthouse - Thursday 19 December 2024 AP Photo A court in the southern French city of Avignon in December sentenced Dominique Pelicot to 20 years for drugging and raping her and inviting dozens of men to do the same for almost a decade. His 50 co-defendants were also found guilty and handed various sentences of between three and 15 years. The evidence presented during the shocking case included stomach-churning homemade videos of the abuse that Dominique Pelicot filmed in the couple's retirement home in the small Provence town of Mazan and elsewhere. Their daughter, Caroline Darian, published her own memoir, "I'll Never Call Him Dad Again", in December and plans to publish a book about victims of sexual abuse. She has filed a sex abuse case against her father, who denies abusing her.
The Guardian
17-04-2025
- The Guardian
Gisèle Pelicot to sue Paris Match magazine for invasion of privacy
Gisèle Pelicot, who survived nearly a decade of rapes by dozens of men, will sue Paris Match magazine for invasion of privacy, her lawyers said on Thursday. In its latest edition, Paris Match published seven pictures of Pelicot accompanied by a man described as her companion walking in the streets in her new home town. Pelicot received international acclaim for waiving her right to anonymity in the trial last year of her ex-husband and other defendants. 'It's not us who should feel shame, but them,' she said of the perpetrators. Dominique Pelicot, her former husband, drugged her for nearly a decade so he and dozens of strangers he recruited online could rape her. Dominique Pelicot, who admitted the charges, kept hundreds of videos of the attacks on his computer in a file entitled 'abuse'. A French court sentenced him to 20 years in prison in December. 'Every time the intimacy of our client's personal life is violated, we will react and seek a court decision,' the lawyer Antoine Camus said on Thursday. Camus said it was 'shocking' and 'disappointing' that Paris Match would secretly take pictures of Pelicot, 'whose ordeal was the subject of 3,000 pictures and videos'. He accused the magazine of 'having learned nothing from the four-month trial'. Contacted by Agence France-Presse, Paris Match had no comment. Pelicot was included in Time magazine's list published on Wednesday of the world's most influential people in 2025.
