Macron thanks Gisèle Pelicot for courage and dignity in mass rape trial

Campaigners against sexual violence have stood outside the court throughout the trial and hope it could bring about reform of France’s rape laws and change the debate on rape culture and drug-induced sexual assault.

“Shame changes sides” has become one of the slogans of the case and, in an indication of the importance of the trial, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz thanked Gisèle Pelicot for giving women around the world “a strong voice”.

“The shame always lies with the perpetrator,” Scholz added.

One of her lawyers, Antoine Camus, told France Info radio on Friday that the trial would serve as a “building block” and that by making the proceedings public Gisèle Pelicot had sought to enable society to “get to grips with [the issues] and ask the right questions”.

The president of France’s National Assembly, Yaël Braun Pivet, said a taboo had been broken: “The world is no longer the same thanks to you.”

French ex-prime minister Gabriel Attal hoped that the mass rape trial would send a “shock wave” through the education of every young boy – “because this is where the fight for equality and respect begins”.