French Rape Trial Turns Grandmother into Feminist Hero
French Rape Trial Turns Grandmother into Feminist Hero
In a shocking case, a 72-year-old French grandmother, Gisèle Pelicot, became a feminist hero after 51 men were convicted in a drugging-and-rape trial that she turned into a national reckoning about the blight of rape culture. The men, including her ex-husband, were sentenced to prison terms ranging from three to 20 years for drugging and raping Pelicot and allowing other men to rape her while she was unconscious. Pelicot, who had faced the defendants during the trial, expressed her gratitude to the people who supported her and said she was thinking of her grandchildren. The trial has galvanized campaigners against sexual violence and spurred calls for tougher measures to stamp out rape culture.