Day: 20 December 2024

Almost all of Friday’s front pages lead with French rape victim Gisèle Pelicot after her ex-husband Dominique Pelicot was sentenced to 20 years behind bars for drugging and raping her – and inviting 50 other men to rape her whilst she was unconscious, over ten years.

All the men were convicted on at least one charge.

Gisèle Pelicot’s case has garnered global attention, notably because she waived the right to anonymity and, along with the fact her ex-husband filmed the attacks over the decade, there was so much evidence to present publicly – something not common with rape cases.

Following the sentencing, Pelicot stood outside the court and told the public she did not regret going public with the case and told sex abuse survivors that they “share the same fight”.

Away from Pelicot, there is coverage of the UK economy as the papers react after the Bank of England’s downgrading of the economy’s growth outlook.

Lord Mandelson is expected to be named as the UK’s next ambassador to the US, whilst online many news sites report on a looming US government shutdown.

Dominique Pelicot, the ex-husband of French rape survivor Gisèle Pelicot, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted of drugging and raping her, as well as inviting dozens of other men to abuse her over a period of nearly a decade. The 72-year-old was found guilty of all charges by a judge in Avignon, southern France, and became emotional in court as the sentence was read.

Starbucks baristas in the US, represented by Workers United, are set to begin a five-day strike starting Friday, demanding better pay, improved working conditions, and more staff at their stores. The strike, which will start in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle, is expected to spread to hundreds of locations across the country by Christmas Eve unless an agreement is reached.