For shame to shift sides, we must focus on Dominique Pélicot and the other men accused of raping Gisèle Pelicot

Dominique Pélicot is on trial for routinely drugging and raping Gisèle Pelicot, his former wife, and for inviting dozens of other men to rape and assault her.

Yesterday, a court in Avignon powerfully heard Gisèle Pelicot challenge rape culture and victim-blaming. She took the stand, saying: “I am a woman who is totally destroyed, and I don’t know how I’m going to rebuild myself. I’m 72 soon, and I’m not sure my life will be long enough to recover from this… It’s true that I hear lots of women, and men, who say, ‘You’re very brave.’ I say it’s not bravery, it’s will and determination to change society.”

She explained how she wants to shift the shame felt by rape survivors and place it on the perpetrators, who deserve to feel it. "I want all women victims of rape—not just when they have been drugged; rape exists at all levels—I want those women to say: Mrs. Pelicot did it, we can do it too. When you’re raped, there is shame, but it’s not for us to feel shame—it’s for them."

She added: “The profile of a rapist is not someone you meet in a car park late at night. A rapist can also be in the family, among our friends.”

Dominique Péliqot admitted to all the charges telling the court that he used sedatives and anti-anxiety medication to render her unconscious so that he and strangers he recruited in online chatrooms could allegedly rape her between 2011 and 2020.

Fifty men are on trial alongside Dominique.

Most of the alleged rapes were filmed. Yet, the majority of the defendants still deny raping her, arguing that they cannot be guilty because they did not realize she was unconscious and therefore did not "know" they were raping her. However, we have heard during the trial that most of the men who raped Gisèle Pelicot didn’t bother to check if she was sedated, drugged, or consenting. Many of these strangers were recruited on a site called “Without Her Knowledge.”

The case first gained global attention two months ago when the trial began. Gisèle chose to waive her anonymity so that the men on trial would not be protected by the same anonymity. Despite this brave decision, the media’s focus has largely remained on Gisèle.

She has, rightly, become a feminist icon. We should be supporting her, and it’s no surprise her face has become synonymous with feminism. But I believe we should also know the faces of the men accused, especially Dominique. Despite closely following this trial, I’ve barely seen his face anywhere—let alone the names or faces of the other 50 men. For us to do as Gisèle asks, and shift the shame, we must turn our attention to the alleged perpetrators.

The Guardian has published an in-depth look at some of the men on trial, reporting on their testimonies as they happen. So far, we have heard from 29 of them.

For example, Jacques C, a 72-year-old former fire officer, claimed he was naive and believed that Gisèle Pelicot would eventually wake up, thinking the situation was part of a consensual game between the couple. Jean-Pierre M, 63, is not accused of personally assaulting Pelicot but is alleged to have used a similar method to drug and sexually assault his own wife. He is also accused of arranging for Pelicot to join in the assaults. Twelve instances of rape against Jean-Pierre’s wife are said to have occurred between 2015 and 2020, and Jean-Pierre has admitted these charges in court.

The youngest defendant, 26-year-old Joan K, a former soldier in the French military, stated in court: “I’m a rapist because the law says I am.” However, he claimed that at the time, he did not understand the concept of consent and had no intention of committing rape.

Husamettin D, 43, admitted that Pelicot appeared lifeless, noting her leg was hanging awkwardly, but he assumed it was part of a role-playing scenario. Despite this, he maintains that he did not assault her, saying, “I don’t accept being called a rapist. I’m not a rapist.”

Thierry Po, a refrigeration specialist and father of three from Bouches-du-Rhône, southern France, faces charges of possessing hundreds of child abuse images discovered on a USB stick after his arrest in connection with the alleged rape of Pelicot. He has confessed to the charges related to the images but denies assaulting Pelicot on August 21, 2020. He told the court, “After I leave prison, I’d like to create an association to help men like me understand that consent is important. I’d go to swingers' clubs and say: ‘Don’t forget to get consent!’”

Women are so often dehumanized, even when they are victims of horrendous crimes, while men are afforded humanization and privacy, even when they are accused or found guilty of those same horrendous crimes. The double standards are insidious and perverse, and we must challenge them. The full list of the accused men can be found in the court’s public records.