Gisèle Pelicot Honored with Legion of Honour for Courageous Testimony

Gisèle Pelicot's public testimony has inspired many and signifies a shift in the societal view of sexual violence.

Gisèle Pelicot, the courageous French woman who made headlines last year for her brave public testimony during a mass-rape trial, has been awarded the prestigious Legion of Honour, France's highest accolade. The announcement came shortly before France's Bastille Day celebrations. At the age of 72, Pelicot decided to waive her anonymity to share her harrowing experience, highlighting the abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband and numerous others over a nearly ten-year span.

She attended her husband Dominique Pelicot's trial, where he was sentenced to 20 years in prison for aggravated rape after confessing to drugging her and facilitating the assault by around 50 men while she lay unconscious. Pelicot's defiance against stigma surrounding sexual violence led her to declare, "I want all women who have been raped to say: Madame Pelicot did it, I can too," aiming to transfer shame from victims to perpetrators.

French President Emmanuel Macron commended Pelicot in a public statement, praising her "dignity and courage" that have inspired people both in France and around the globe. Following her noteworthy achievement, plans for a memoir detailing her story are set for release next year, promising to continue her impactful message on the necessity of speaking out against sexual abuse.