French woman says uncovering of mass rape trauma 'saved her life'
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00:00Two defendants in the rape case that has sent chills through France.
00:04There are 51 men on trial, including Dominique Pellicot, who is accused of drugging his wife
00:10and inviting strangers over to rape her in their home.
00:14They shield their faces as they go through security.
00:18By contrast, Giselle Pellicot held her head high on arrival at the criminal court in Avignon.
00:25The 71-year-old woman chose to be named and to hold a public trial in solidarity
00:30with all women who had faced similar crimes, and to prevent it from ever happening again.
00:37I think I've said everything I wanted to say. It's not easy, of course. It's an exercise in style.
00:42It's not easy. And then there's the pressure of all these people behind me,
00:46and I can feel that they're trying to trap me with their questions.
00:49So I try to answer as best as I can. And then, of course, we'll have to fight to the end,
00:53because this trial is going to last four months.
00:57In her almost 90-minute testimony, she spoke of being shown the barbaric
01:01images that show her lying motionless on the bed and being raped.
01:05Saying the police saved her life when they investigated her husband's computer in 2020
01:10after he was caught filming up women's skirts in a supermarket.
01:14Police say they found thousands of photos and videos that appeared to document
01:18almost 100 counts of rape over the course of nearly a decade.
01:23In the stand, Giselle said she thought they were a close couple,
01:26married for 50 years with three children, and then her husband's crimes tore her world apart.
01:34The words that best describe and will best define this testimony are,
01:39with great dignity. Giselle P. told her story, the way she experienced things,
01:44her personal account, the way she lived.
01:48Earlier in court this week, Dominique Pellicot answered
01:51yes when he was asked if he was guilty of the accusations.