Gisele Pelicot hailed as hero after ex-husband jailed in France mass rape trial

AFP | Paris

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French woman Gisele Pelicot, who survived a decade of sexual abuse by her husband and dozens of strangers, said she hoped her ordeal would help make the world a better place for “women and men alike” as her former spouse was jailed for 20 years.

Her public stand against her abusers was hailed by supporters outside the courtroom and by world leaders.

Dominique Pelicot, who had confessed to the crimes, was found guilty by the court in the southern city of Avignon after a trial that lasted more than three months.

Details of the offences shocked France and the world, drawing fresh attention to male violence, and turning his former wife Gisele into a feminist hero.

Such extensive media coverage was made possible by Pelicot’s decision to waive her anonymity and opt for a public trial.

Dozens of other defendants -- the men who visited the Pelicot family home to rape Gisele Pelicot who was unconscious after being drugged by her husband -- were handed terms of between three and 15 years.

Women’s rights groups and the three Pelicot children, according to a source, expressed disappointment, arguing the sentences were too lenient.