Pelicot Rape Case Returns to Court as Convict Challenges Verdict
PARIS - Gisèle Pelicot is preparing to face her alleged rapist in appeals court as the man convicted of raping her contests the original verdict, a case that ignited widespread criticism of France‘s handling of sexual assault allegations. the upcoming hearing arrives amid mounting evidence of systemic failures within the French justice system regarding rape complaints.
Last year’s initial conviction in the Pelicot case acted as a catalyst for national debate,exposing deep-seated issues in how France addresses sexual violence. As then, several reports have detailed the ongoing struggles of rape complainants navigating the French legal system.
The european court of human rights this year condemned France for “failing to protect” the rights of three teenagers who reported rape. One case involved a teenager who accused more than a dozen firemen of abuse and experienced “secondary victimisation and discriminatory treatment” due to ”moralising and guilt-inducing statements” propagating gender stereotypes. Another concerned an assistant hospital pharmacist who filed a rape complaint against her head of department.
A recent report by the High Council for Equality, an advisory body attached to the French prime minister’s office, revealed that despite a threefold increase in rape complaints in France since the #MeToo movement in 2016, the number of cases reaching trial remains low, with convictions resulting from only 3.3% of complaints.
More than 130 feminist groups are currently campaigning for thorough reform of the French justice system’s approach to rape, advocating for increased funding and improved state support and prevention measures.
Anne-Cécile Mailfert of the Fondation des Femmes stated the Pelicot case “was a kind of electric shock, it allowed a lot of people to talk about rape and marital rape. However, there has not realy been a political response. There is a great deal lacking in France, and serious dysfunction [in the justice system].”
Parliament is also debating the addition of a consent-based definition of rape to French law. Marie-Charlotte Garin, a Green MP supporting the change, believes rewording the law will contribute to ”a cultural change to move from a culture of rape to a culture of consent,” but emphasizes that legislative changes alone are insufficient. “We need a revolution in the system to improve how we deal with rape,” she said.
