Gisèle Pelicot, the French campaigner who was drugged and sexually abused by her ex-husband and dozens of other men over nearly a decade, has spoken of finding love and trust again. The 73-year-old, who waived her right to anonymity during the trial of Dominique Pelicot, appeared at the Hay festival in Wales on Saturday to discuss her memoir A Hymn to Life.
Pelicot said she never thought she could trust a man again before meeting her partner, Jean-Loup Agopian. 'It's something that I didn't think could happen, especially at my age,' she said. 'You see, you can fall in love at any age, it happened to me, it can happen to you.' She added that she did not think she would be able to trust a man, but that it happened, showing that 'everything can be allowed in life, you must never despair.'
Pelicot called on society to 'wake up' to violence against women, describing it as an 'appalling evil that touches all borders.' She said she initially thought her story was unique, but realised it was 'the tree that hid the forest.' Despite the trauma, she feels 'serene' about the future, believing that men and women can live together in harmony through early education of children.
Last month, French authorities launched an investigation into the reappearance of a website Dominique Pelicot used to recruit strangers to rape his wife. The platform, Coco, was shut down in June 2024 but has been linked to crimes including child sexual abuse and murder. Pelicot described it as an 'absolute miracle' to be speaking on stage, given the heavy sedation she endured.
Pelicot also spoke about her daughter, Caroline Darian, who is pursuing legal action against Dominique Pelicot. Darian's advocacy group, M'endors pas, campaigns against chemical submission. Pelicot said she hopes her daughter will win her case to 'rebuild herself' and expressed pride in being her mother.
