Macron thanks Gisèle Pelicot for speaking out in French mass rape trial

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday expressed his gratitude to Gisèle Pelicot for the courage she showed during a mass rape trial that horrified France.

“Thank you, Gisèle Pelicot. For all of us, because your dignity and courage have moved and inspired France and the world,” said Macron, who described Pelicot as a trailblazer.

Gisèle Pelicot, a 71-year-old retiree, was drugged by her now ex-husband for years so he could recruit men online to rape her while she was unconscious while he filmed the sexual assaults. 

Pelicot became a feminist icon after she asked to make her trial public, facing her abusers in court for months. The case shocked France and the world — and catalyzed a French debate on changing the legal definition of rape.

A court on Thursday convicted Pelicot’s ex-husband for aggravated rape and sentenced him to a maximum of 20 years in prison.

Another 50 men involved in the case were jailed for terms of three years up to 15 years.

After the trial, Pelicot said she had no second thoughts about her decision to make the trial public. “When I opened the doors to this trial on 2 September, I wanted society to be able to take part in this debate. I have never regretted that decision,” she said.

Other politicians, including Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, have also thanked Pelicot.

“Such dignity. Thank you, Gisèle Pelicot. Shame must change sides,” Sánchez wrote in a post on X, referencing the core slogan of the trial.

Scholz said Pelicot “courageously stepped out of anonymity into the public eye and fought for justice” and added, “You have given women around the world a strong voice. The shame always lies with the perpetrator.”