Gisèle Pelicot, the French campaigner who was drugged and raped by her ex-husband and dozens of other men over nearly a decade, has spoken about finding love and trust again. Appearing at the Hay festival in Wales on Saturday, the 73-year-old said she never thought she could trust a man before meeting her partner, Jean-Loup Agopian. 'It's something that I didn't think could happen, especially at my age,' she said. 'I didn't think that I'd be able to trust a man, but it's what happened to me.'
Pelicot waived her right to anonymity during the trial of Dominique Pelicot, who was jailed for 20 years in 2024 for drugging and raping her and allowing other men to assault her while she was unconscious. She told the festival audience that society must 'wake up' to violence against women, calling it an 'appalling evil that touches all borders'. She said she feels 'serene' about the future, adding: 'I think we can all live together in harmony, men and women, and it's a question of educating our children very young.'
Pelicot described it as an 'absolute miracle' to be speaking on stage, given the heavy sedation she endured. She said people around her wondered whether she was drunk or unwell, but she had no memory of the incidents. She also spoke about the decision to waive her anonymity, saying the defendants tried to 'make me pay for it very dearly' and 'humiliate' her.
Her daughter, Caroline Darian, is pursuing legal action against Dominique Pelicot after photos were found of her unconscious in underwear not her own. Pelicot said she believed there had been an 'incestuous attitude' towards her daughter, and expressed hope that Darian would win her case to 'rebuild herself'. Pelicot praised Darian's advocacy group M'endors pas, which campaigns against chemical submission.
