Gisèle Pelicot thanks the protesters who “give her the strength to lead this fight”, the hearing temporarily suspended

Gisèle Pelicot stands firm. The trial of her ex-husband Dominique Pélicot and fifty other people accused of raping her for a decade resumed on Monday, September 16 in Avignon (Vaucluse). Before the hearing began, the victim made a point of greeting the demonstrators who marched across France on Saturday. “Thanks to all of you, I have the strength to fight this fight to the end, this fight that I dedicate to the women and men who are victims of sexual violence throughout the world,” she declared, “to all these victims, I want to tell them today, ‘look around you, you are not alone’.”

The hearing, which began without Dominique Pelicot, who was suffering from“a kidney infection”according to her lawyer Beatrice Zavarro, has been temporarily suspended. “I have been informed that Mr. Pelicot is refusing his extraction, citing health problems that were noted yesterday (Sunday) during an extraction.” from his cell, said the president of the court, Roger Arata. “We have no other solution than to consider a new suspension for this day”he added, specifying that he would make this decision during the day after a meeting with the trial lawyers.

This absence was denounced by the civil parties. “Words fail to express how abnormal the situation we find ourselves in this morning is. There are people whose job it is to ensure that Mr. Pelicot is fit to attend his trial.”said lawyer Stéphane Babonneau.

“If this situation is due to a delay in care, it would be a scandal.”

Stéphane Babonneau, one of Gisèle Pelicot’s lawyers

to AFP

The attorney general himself stated: “regret this situation”. Béatrice Zavarro, Dominique Pelicot’s lawyer, for her part criticised the lack of medical care for her client. “We were held hostage for eight days [au moment où les douleurs de monsieur Pelicot sont apparues] because if he had been taken care of from the beginning, we would not be here.”she explained to the audience.