When the Gisele Pelicot rape case became public, the first reaction was shock at what could be happening right next door, in a civilised country, inside our very homes. Then came admiration for this woman who chose to have an open trial so that “shame could change sides”.
So that victims wouldn’t have to feel ashamed of what they endured, but rather perpetrators would feel ashamed of what they did. Now, as the case draws to a close, she’s proven absolutely right. She even managed to get some perpetrators to confess their wrongdoing. And perhaps not just to receive lighter sentences, but possibly because they understood what the prosecutor said: “There’s no such thing as accidental or unintentional rape”.
Many tried to create alibis for themselves, claiming they didn’t know the woman was drugged and unaware of what was happening to her. Others said they thought it was acceptable to rape her while she was unresponsive because they had her husband’s permission. “We cannot maintain in 2024 that ‘since she didn’t say anything, she consented'”, stated prosecutor Laure Chabaud during her address, recommending prison sentences from 4 to 20 years for Gisele’s 51 rapists. For his part, Deputy Attorney General Jean-François Maillé said in his address that beyond the sentences, “the stakes in this trial were about fundamentally changing relationships between men and women”.
This goal naturally cannot be achieved, no matter how shocked society was. However, some who would have considered it entertainment to rape a drugged woman because her husband approved might think twice when they know they face 17-18 years in prison. When they know their families might fall apart, their wives and children might despise them, and they might lose everything.
That’s exactly what happened in this case. Most of the 51 rapists in the dock were ordinary people – family men beyond suspicion. Just like the orchestrator of the rapes, whose true nature gave no indication to either his wife or children. They, especially his daughter, are now condemned to live with the doubt about what might have happened without their knowledge.
The court’s verdict will be known in a few days. Whatever it may be, the message is clear: There is no such thing as silent consent. There is no consent by proxy.