Gisèle Pelicot arrives at the courthouse in Avignon, France, on December 19, 2024, before the verdict is read from the trial of her ex-husband and more than four dozen other men found guilty of aggravated rape.

CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU/AFP via Getty Images

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CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU/AFP via Getty Images

AVIGNON, France – A French panel of judges has found dozens of men guilty of raping a woman whose husband drugged her unconscious over the course of a decade.

The five-judge panel initially ruled that Gisèle Pelicot’s ex-husband was guilty of aggravated rape and all other allegations against him.

“You are therefore found guilty of the aggravated rape of Ms. Gisèle Pelicot,” said Roger Arata, the court’s senior judge, addressing Dominique Pelicot and the first group of men to be found guilty. A total of 51 men, including Dominique Pelicot, stood trial.

“She’s a hero,” added Blandine Deverlanges, leader of the feminist group Les Amazones d’Avignon (Amazons of Avignon). “Kind of a hero because she refused to be silenced. And she wanted her story to be public, and she gave us women a great gift because she gave us her story, so now it’s our story.”

The court decision ends a 15-week trial in this southern French city that included detailed descriptions of systematic drug use and sexual abuse and sparked a nationwide debate about the treatment of women in society.

Although the crimes repeatedly occurred behind closed doors – unknown even to the victim at the time – the hearings and verdict took place in front of the world’s news media because she insisted on a public trial, making her a hero to her supporters celebrated their courage.

She said she was fighting for “all the people around the world, women and men, who are victims of sexual violence.”

“This trial has already changed things because many women are now holding open trials,” Valentine Rioufol, a feminist from Avignon, said Thursday after the verdicts were read. “Pelicot set a great example. Women will now have open rape cases. You are no longer afraid of it. Shame has changed sides.”

During the trial, her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, confessed to the rape allegation and testified that he used sedatives hidden in her food and drink to put her into a deep enough sleep so that she would not be woken up.

But many of the defendants did not confess, even though videos of their crimes were shown on large screens in the courtroom. Police had found thousands of photos and videos on the man’s computer drives, providing prosecutors with evidence of the abuse. Gisèle Pelicot had insisted that such evidence be presented in court.

She became something of a hero to the throngs of mostly women who gathered outside the courtroom.

“She gave us an important gift by demanding that this process be made public. That’s why we have to be here to support them,” said supporter Chantal Cremont.

There have been other demonstrations of support for the victim, such as a recent demonstration in Paris.

“We are very proud of her because she is very strong and what she has done – she is really brave,” said Amélie Chauveau, who attended the rally in Paris in November.

Many French men have now expressed their shame. Some used the hashtag #NotAllMen in social media posts to distance themselves from the horrific acts. This worries journalist Victoire Tuaillon, who hosts a podcast that deals with male violence.

“Most people think that these men are some kind of monster, completely different from themselves, you know? They think the case doesn’t really concern them because they think I would never do that,” Tuaillon told NPR.

Mathieu Palain, who has written books on male violence against women, noted that the case highlighted how common the perpetrators could be.

“This frightening trial shows us that these men are not twisted criminals, but just normal guys with wives, children and jobs – a baker, a firefighter. They are our brothers, our fathers. And that’s shocking,” Palain said. “It would be easier to say that these violent men have nothing to do with us.”