Take to the streets to show visible support for victims of sexual violence against women. This is the call from French feminist activists and associations who have called for demonstrations this Saturday across the country in solidarity with Gisèle Pelicot and with all the victims of rape. “91% of rapes occur in the immediate entourage,” wrote feminist activist Anna Toumazoff a few days ago in a message on the social network us,” he asked, calling for the organization of “rallies throughout France.” In the days that followed, various feminist groups such as #Noustoutes and La Fondation des femmes joined the initiative and announced the call.
In Paris, hundreds of people responded to the call and gathered at Place de la République. “What happened is a particularly sordid case but it’s not something isolated; we see them every day, every week,” said Mylène, a civil servant in the capital and, she says, a regular at women’s rights protests. “But the authorities are doing nothing. That’s why I’m here today.”
Most of the banners made direct reference to the Pelicot case, chemical submission or the accused, including “Sleeping is not consent” or “51 good parents”. Several stated that “shame must change sides”, a phrase uttered last week by Gisèle Pelicot’s lawyers.
“In Spain, we have a lot of advantages in this area,” says Karine, who lives in the Paris region and also often goes to the capital to support feminist causes. “My great hope is the youth, I see a lot of young girls, and a few boys too (but not enough). They are the ones who are going to change everything.
For Anaïs, Gisèle Pelicot's case represents a turning point. Because of his work in a hospital, he is in contact with victims of sexual violence. “By refusing to close the trial, you are sending a very important message; 'He is an example.'”
A historic trial
The beginning last week of trial against Dominique Pélicot and the men he invited to his home to rape his wife, has served as a trigger for women's rights groups to organize various initiatives. The Pelicot case is the largest chemical-related trial in the country's history. A total of 51 men, aged 30 to 74, sit on the bench.
“Given the sad triviality of the profile of the perpetrators of these violations […]”We call on men to demonstrate with us,” wrote a group of French public figures, including activists, artists and journalists, in a column published in Release. “We must act: in this case everything that the associations have been denouncing for years is found. Seven years have passed since #MeToo, and even more since feminists tried to compensate for the inaction of the political authorities.”
In the same spirit, the Fondation des femmes, a large group that supports associations specializing in women's rights and the fight against gender-based violence, is calling for the development of a comprehensive law against gender-based violence in France. “How many cases will it take for victims to be taken seriously? How many cases will it take to end impunity? a statement.
The group also discusses the Pelicot case and the fact that it began with the arrest of Dominique Pelicot in a supermarket for recording videos up customers' skirts. “It is essential that victims are taken seriously. The Pelicot case begins with an investigator who decided to take seriously a photo stolen up a woman's skirt. From that cell phone to the computer, from the website to the DNA file, this apparently “innocuous” case hid a serial rapist, a murderer [Dominique Pelicot está siendo investigado por un crimen ocurrido en los años 90] and more than 50 other men with him.
Among other proposals, the Women's Foundation insists on the need for “a political response that is worthy of the revolution we are experiencing.” A revolution that must address different areas. “We are calling for a comprehensive law to combat sexual violence, which addresses the dysfunctions of our institutions (suspects must be systematically investigated, investigations into the sexual past of victims must be prohibited, psychological examinations must be regulated, the collection and conservation of chemical submission testingtake into account the serial nature of the attacks, etc.).
For feminist associations, only a multidimensional effort would provide the framework and means to act and protect. “It would be necessary to expand protection orders for rape victims, hire 5,000 additional investigators, fund victim support associations with an additional 390 million euros, subsidize psychological support, train judges in departmental criminal courts, etc.”
They stress that only such an effort would demonstrate a real will to fight against the culture of rape instilled from a young age. “A global law to meet the immense challenge posed by the Mazan trial. A global law against rape culture. A global law so that all victims are finally taken seriously,” they affirm.