Gisèle Pelicot demands answers after decade of abuse exposed in landmark trial

Gisèle Pelicot, 73, has become a central figure in a case that exposed a systematic campaign of drugging, rape and recording in a family home. In interviews given ahead of the publication of her memoir, she described the moment she learned the full scale of her husband’s crimes, the decision to relinquish anonymity, and the questions that remain unanswered even after a lengthy trial and convictions.

From domestic life to a public reckoning

Pelicot’s life was turned inside out when police showed her images and videos her husband had compiled. The material documented assaults carried out while she was unconscious after being administered medication. She says the discovery hit her like a “tsunami” and left her “crushed by horror. ” For years she had lived alongside a man who secretly drugged her, then invited other men into their home to assault her while he filmed the encounters.

She made the conscious choice to give up the legal anonymity typically afforded to victims in such cases. That decision allowed her to speak openly in court and in public forums, and she has said she never regretted it. The trial that followed lasted four months and brought to light more than 200 filmed assaults. About 50 men were implicated, with many convicted of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault; some remain unidentified. Her former husband was given a lengthy prison sentence.

Unanswered questions and personal fallout

Even with convictions secured, Pelicot says many questions remain. She has said she wants to confront her former husband in jail to seek answers about the motives and scope of his crimes. The catalogue he kept of the assaults — neatly labelled and stored on a hard drive — left investigators with a horrifying record, but gaps in identification mean that not all perpetrators have been fully accounted for.

The revelations damaged Pelicot’s family life. She describes the agonising task of telling her three adult children what had happened and notes the profound strain it imposed on relationships. Family photographs were torn up as loved ones struggled to process betrayal and complicity. Pelicot has also had to contend with the possibility that other members of the household may have been photographed in compromising situations, deepening her need for clarity about what was done and who was involved.

Public impact and a personal mission

Pelicot’s willingness to share her story publicly shifted the narrative from private shame to accountability. She has spoken about the importance of reversing the stigma traditionally heaped on victims and of putting responsibility squarely on the perpetrators. Her memoir, published as she continues to pursue answers, is intended to document her experience and to force a broader conversation about consent, power and impunity within intimate settings.

Though she describes herself as not feeling anger in the traditional sense, Pelicot conveys a steady resolve to seek truth and to ensure the full story is known. The case has prompted debate about how such crimes can remain hidden for years, how digital records can both incriminate and complicate justice, and what legal and social measures are needed to prevent similar abuses. For Pelicot, the pursuit of answers is both personal and emblematic — a demand that the harms done in private become part of the public record.

As she prepares to discuss her life in more detail in her memoir, Pelicot continues to press for clarity about the scope of her husband’s actions and the identities of all those involved. Even with convictions secured, the search for truth and accountability continues to define her public role.