These are just four moments in one woman’s life. Four moments in just four years. The shock of the first day, the long, lonely journey, the decision to face the worst publicly, and the final verdict, after which Gisèle Pelicot’s soothed, confident voice spoke publicly outside the courtroom. Four moments that marked the journey of a woman who has now become a feminist hero around the world.

November 2, 2020: Shock

That morning, Gisèle Pelicot and her husband were summoned to the police station in Carpentras, southern France. Two months earlier, Dominique Pelicot had been caught by a security guard filming under women’s skirts in a supermarket. Since then, the investigation has moved forward. At 9:45 am, a judicial police officer interviews Gisèle Pelicot separately. Her statement is recorded in the investigation file as Exhibit D40. After dozens of seemingly innocuous questions – “What time do you go to bed? Do you take any medication? Sleeping pills? Can you describe a typical evening at home with your husband? Do you ever take an afternoon nap?” – to which Gisèle Pelicot answered in a relaxed, light tone, the agent asked her:

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for Gisèle Pelicot, an “ordeal” turned into a “fight”.