During the Pelicot trial, the accuser accused: “I understand why victims of sexual assault do not file complaints”

Introduction of Intimate Images

Intimate images made their first appearance on the screens in the Voltaire courtroom of the Avignon courthouse on Wednesday, September 18th, as the Pelicot trial began to delve deeper into murky waters. Over the coming weeks, each of the thirty-five co-defendants (out of 51) disputing the rape allegations against them will take the stand, and the videos of the scenes in question filmed by Dominique Pelicot – upon which the accusations are based – will be aired, promising grueling days of court hearings.

Revelation of Intimate Photographs

Prior to this long, dark tunnel, two defense attorneys successfully argued for the display of a few photos of Gisèle Pelicot in front of the criminal court of Vaucluse from her husband’s hard drive, claiming they would be “useful to establish the truth.” Gisèle Pelicot appeared on the stand Wednesday afternoon, as twenty-seven pictures of her naked and apparently conscious, in suggestive poses, and close-up shots of her genital area were shown in silence. She professed to have no recollection of these snapshots, believing them to have been taken without her knowledge or when she was sedated by her husband. However, she understood the tactic being employed: “They’re trying to trap me with these photos, wanting to show that I lured these individuals to my home and that I was willing.”

Insight from the Defense

The defense attorney, Isabelle Crépin-Dehaene, remarked, “I note that Mrs. Pelicot is awake, we see her smiling. Not all women would accept this type of photos. They show that there was a demand on the part of the husband perfectly understood by the wife. I infer that there was a sexual game within the Pelicot couple that was unique to them.” She suggested that some of the images may have been used by Dominique Pelicot to attract men to their home, where he would offer his sedated wife to them in their room. Gisèle Pelicot struggled to maintain her composure, questioning whether she was being portrayed as the guilty party, to which the defense reassured her that it was not her trial entirely, despite her feeling otherwise.