Gisèle Pelicot's Memoir Exposes Shock of Seeing Herself as 'Rag Doll' After Police Revelation
Gisèle Pelicot, who became an international symbol of courage during the trial of her ex-husband and dozens of other men for rape, has described the profound shock she experienced when police first showed her images of the crimes. In extracts from her forthcoming memoir, A Hymn to Life, the 73-year-old likened herself to a "rag doll" upon seeing the evidence.
The Moment Her World Shattered
Pelicot recounts that her world fell apart on November 2, 2020, when police informed her that her then-husband, Dominique Pelicot, had been drugging and raping her for years, while also inviting strangers to assault her while she was unconscious. She had considered Dominique "a great guy" after sharing her life with him for five decades.
The revelation came after Dominique was summoned for questioning by police, following his capture by a supermarket security guard for secretly filming up women's skirts. Gisèle accompanied him to the police station, utterly unprepared for what Deputy Police Sergeant Laurent Perret would disclose.
"I am going to show you photos and videos that are not going to please you. That's you in this photo," Perret told her. Pelicot writes that she did not believe the inert woman lying on the bed was herself. "I didn't recognise the individuals. Nor this woman. Her cheek was so flabby. Her mouth so limp. She was a rag doll," she describes in the book.
She adds, "My brain stopped working in the office of Deputy Police Sergeant Perret," capturing the sheer trauma of the moment.
The Horrific Crimes and Trial
Dominique Pelicot had, for almost a decade, crushed sleeping tablets and anti-anxiety medication into her mashed potato, coffee, or ice-cream, rendering her in a state akin to a coma. He then invited dozens of men to rape her in the village of Mazan in south-east France, where the couple had retired. A total of 51 men were found guilty of rape or sexual assault in a trial that shocked the world last year.
Pelicot gained global recognition when she waived her right to anonymity, making the trial public. In her memoir, she explains this decision, stating that if she had kept the trial behind closed doors—as is typical in such cases—it would have protected her abusers and left her alone with them in court, "hostage to their looks, their lies, their cowardice, and their scorn."
She writes, "No one would know what they had done to me. Not a single journalist would be there to write their names next to their crimes … Above all, not a single woman could walk in and sit in the courtroom to feel less alone."
Reflections on Age and Courage
Pelicot reflects that if she had been 20 years younger, she might not have dared to refuse a closed-door hearing. "I would have feared the stares. Those damned stares a woman of my generation has always had to contend with, those damned stares that make you hesitate in the morning between trousers and a dress, that follow you or ignore you, flatter you and embarrass you," she writes.
She continues, "Those damned stares that are supposed to tell you who you are, what you're worth, and then abandon you as you grow older," highlighting the societal pressures that often silence victims.
Global Publishing Event and Impact
A Hymn to Life, co-written with French author Judith Perrignon, is set for simultaneous release across the world in 22 languages on February 17, marking a major publishing event. The British actor Emma Thompson will narrate the audiobook in English, describing the story as "absolutely extraordinary" and noting that it inspired "courage and compassion but also crucially demands change."
Pelicot's memoir not only details her personal trauma but also serves as a powerful call to action against violence towards women, emphasizing the importance of public accountability and support for survivors.
