Gisele Pelicot, a 73‑year‑old French woman whose husband was convicted of orchestrating repeated rapes against her, has published a memoir recounting the harrowing abuse she endured and her journey toward public testimony and survival, Reuters reported on Tuesday.
Pelicot’s book, A Hymn to Life, retraces the 2024 mass‑rape case that shocked France and made her a global symbol in the fight against sexual violence. Her then‑husband, Dominique Pelicot, was found guilty of drugging her and inviting dozens of men at least 53 in total to rape her while she was unconscious over several years.
Choosing to waive her right to anonymity, Pelicot detailed in the memoir the pain of discovering the crimes during police investigations, the strain it placed on her family, and the emotional toll of the trial. She wrote vividly about the moment police showed her images of herself taken while she was unconscious and the difficulty of telling friends and, especially, her children what had happened.
In the book, Pelicot also describes the outpouring of support she received from women around the world, sharing that letters of solidarity helped sustain her through the legal process. Despite her trauma, she wrote that she found strength through that support and even found love again after the trial. “I still have faith in people,” she wrote. “Once, that was my greatest weakness. Now it is my strength. My revenge.”
The case prompted widespread attention and contributed to reforms in France’s rape laws. Pelicot’s decision to go public with her story was seen as a powerful act of defiance against stigma and silence surrounding sexual violence, inspiring many survivors to speak out.
Her memoir was released as part of a global edition in multiple languages, bringing her testimony and message of resilience to an international audience and further cementing her role as a vocal advocate for victims’ rights.
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