Justice for Gisèle Pelicot? 51 Guilty Verdicts Doesn’t Come Close

Gisèle Pelicot refused to carry the shame that so many victims of sexual assault endure. She is determined to change society, the way we think and talk about rape. During her final statement she told the court “It’s time that the macho, patriarchal society that trivializes rape changes. It’s time we changed the way we look at rape.”

All of the men who raped her received custodial sentences, but other than her husband none received the longer sentences asked for by prosecutors. Some were even free to go when the trial ended, having already served the sentence meted out by the judge.

“The justice system has not done its job,” insisted Anne-Cécile Mailfert, the founding president of women’s rights organization Fondation des Femmes, calling the sentences a “disgrace.” Link to full story here.