France: trial of 51 rapist suspects
Dominique Pélicot (71) is on trial in the French city of Avignon, accused of having sedated and raped his wife for years and of offering her to other men for sexual abuse. These men are also on trial. Europe's press calls for better protection against sexual violence.
Time for a law against male violence
El País hopes for a turnaround in France's equality policies:
“So far, the social reaction in France has been limited to feminist sphere, which is calling for a comprehensive law against macho violence. ... Just as the La Manada [2016 gang rape] case marked a turning point in Spain, the Pélicot case should provoke a political and legislative response commensurate with the gravity of the facts in a country whose legal definition of rape does not include the concept of consent and which last December opposed the European reform of this criminal offence which aimed to include this fundamental concept.”
Give the authorities more scope for action
Victims of sexual violence need more legal protection, the fundraising organisation Fondation des Femmes urges in Libération:
“Many issues need to be addressed. We call for a comprehensive law against acts of sexual violence, one which would address the dysfunctional nature of our institutions. Systematic investigations of the accused are needed, along with a ban on investigations into the victim's sexual past, a clear framework for psychological assessments, the collection and preservation of evidence linked to the administration of chemical substances, taking account of serial offenders, etc. This law would create a framework and provide the means to act and to protect.”
A hero who describes herself as a heap of ruins
La Vanguardia praises the victim:
“Putting your face and name to a just cause as a woman is a thankless task. Now this task has fallen to Gisèle Pélicot. A few days ago, thousands of French women demonstrated carrying banners featuring her face and the lawyer's slogan: 'Shame must change sides'. Everything Pélicot has done up to now, renouncing anonymity, attending the trial every day while facing 50 men who raped her while she was unconscious and the husband who drugged and dominated her, is incredibly heroic. She never wanted to be a symbol and no one has the right to demand anything, not even heroism, from this woman who has defined herself as a heap of ruins.”