'It’s the height of horror’

[RaspberryParade]

Protests in 30 French cities in support of Gisèle Pélicot
Outrage at ordeal of woman raped after being drugged by husband leads to marches across the country'
Good to hear! I hope and pray French women dont let this drop and go back to business as usual.
On a separate note the Observer is so much better than the Guardian.

www.theguardian.com/world/2024/sep/14/its-the-height-of-horror-protests-in-30-french-cities-in-support-of-gisele-pelicot

I am Australian and there was a case years ago when I was at uni. (I'm now 51). The rapist who was unknown to the victim brained her with a brick and she was unconscious at the time of the rape and the Judge said this mitigated his crime because she was unaware it was happening. I'll see if I can find any reports- but it was so long ago. But it is seared into my memory.

Her partner, Gérard Etienne, 75, added: “We need to support women who are treated like this. When you hear some of the testimonies, you wonder how a man can treat a woman like that.”

Oh very kind of you, Etienne. You seem to assume that it's a given that women will be treated like this. How come you didn't say "We need to stop men treating women this way"?

The one thing necessary to prevent women being raped is for men to stop raping them. But it never seems to occur to any of these good men expressing shock that maybe the solution is in their hands.

The rapist who was unknown to the victim brained her with a brick and she was unconscious at the time of the rape and the Judge said this mitigated his crime because she was unaware it was happening.

Fucking Hell.

Re: so much value being placed on unconsciousness and trauma.

A while ago, there was a proposal to give people propofol soon after a traumatic event as a way to minimise any PTSD or trauma. This gives an overview of it.

https://cen.acs.org/biological-chemistry/neuroscience/Scientists-use-propofol-disrupt-peoples/97/web/2019/03

One of the wider arguments against it was that it would have legal ramifications and that people find not knowing to be very disturbing.

All I'm cynically defaulting to at the moment is that, for some people, it seems anything is permissible if you can interfere with someone's memory or sufficiently gaslight authorities into believing that that person is an unreliable narrator…

How can she continue living there after that?
Or any other sane woman for that matter.
What I would hope to hear is that all the wives of the perpetrators started divorce proceedings immediately and that there is a general exodus of women from that area. Most especially any women associated with the Mayor.
See what that does to the locale economy, and the overly mothered men.

On a seperate note does anyone here have links to any French Feminists comments on this, or fightbacks or commentary to this in French newsites?

The whole thing was reminding me of the 'twilight sleep' history of drugging women in labour.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twilight_sleep

https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2024/09/14/thousands-in-france-march-in-support-of-gisele-pelicot-and-protest-of-rape-culture_6726066_7.html

""Tell me, Mr. President, how does someone like me go about getting better, hoping to have a normal life as a woman, a normal sex life?
How does one go about rebuilding oneself from the ashes when one knows that their father is undoubtedly the greatest sexual predator of the last 20 years?"

In response to Darian's questions, the presiding judge could only pledge to "do everything possible to bring this trial to a successful conclusion."
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2024/09/07/the-pelicot-family-s-pain-and-shock-at-father-s-multiple-rape-trial-how-could-we-have-seen-nothing_6725163_7.html
Beyond words.
I cant help but think how does any woman completely trust the men in their lives after reading about this case.

What is even more shocking is that quite a lot of the rapists haven’t been identified, so are walking around saying “ oh what a terrible thing “ knowing damn well they are part of it.

And if you remember we came through a pandemic when people were able to speak to each other and see each other over that amazing thing called the internet. Surely setting up a link between the court and a hospital bed isn’t too taxing a task.

Maybe he was one of the guys who raped her and he bribed the accused to keep it quiet. I would not be one bit surprised.

That would not be beyond the realms of possibility seeing as it was a small town. And unsurprising given the callousness of his comments. This whole case has enraged me. It's just awful for them I am in awe of her bravery in the face of this.

Is there any method permitted in the catholic church to have a divorce or have your marriage annulled? GP is most likely catholic, and might therefore have to remain married to this arsehole for life.

Theyre in the middle of divorce proceedings.

Deleted as I misunderstood the original.

She is extraordinarily brave and I sincerely hope that by waiving anonymity she creates social change towards rape culture.

He can rot.

And yet strangely I can’t imagine this lawyer would be quite so sanguine about anonymous men raping HIM while he was in a drugged stupor. Funny that.

Photographer Pedro Campos, 21, agreed: “It’s shocking… because we see that the [men on trial] are a bit like Mr Everyman. It goes against the idea that there is only one type of rapist.”

On a telly addicts thread there is discussion about a French drama BBC has aired ( Sambre: Anatomy of a Crime) based on real events in France, of a serial rapist who went undetected for 30 years, one of the reasons being that the criminal psychologist’s profile was so wrong “He must be a loner… a misfit…” In fact he was a well liked member of his community.

Yes, very courageous woman, thank goodness there are protests. I'd be ready to give up on the world if there weren't.

And then men wonder why we want single SEX spaces, not single 'inner feelings' spaces but actually single sex.

Well, here's a good reason why (other reasons of course like privacy and dignity).

Why aren't there demonstrations in the UK to support Gisele Pelicot?

Interesting film seen on BBC player the other evening called “Women Talking” 2002….relevant to how women as a group could act in their own interest.

God almighty. I was about to comment, sarcastically, that presumably rape was ok if the rapist knocked the woman unconscious first. You simply cannot satirise the depth of a misogynist’s contempt for women.

I intended to quote @FairyBreadQueen on a case where the rapist … brained her with a brick and she was unconscious at the time of the rape and the Judge said this mitigated his crime because she was unaware it was happening.

Almost unbelievable. The rapist is contemptible. But the judge???? That comment reveals a whole extra level of awfulness.