In a powerful display of solidarity, hundreds of protesters gathered across France on Saturday to express their support for Gisèle Pélicot, a woman who endured a horrifying decade of sexual assault at the hands of her husband. Organized by feminist groups, approximately 30 demonstrations took place in cities such as Paris and Marseille, with demonstrators also assembling in Brussels.

One of the central focal points of the protests was Place de la République in Paris, where participants held placards adorned with messages of support for victims of sexual violence. One particular sign read, "Gisèle for all. All for Gisèle", evoking the rallying cry for justice and empathy for survivors of such heinous acts.

The case of Gisèle Pélicot, a courageous 72-year-old woman who was repeatedly assaulted while unconscious, has sent shockwaves throughout the world. Her 71-year-old husband, Dominique, who has admitted his guilt, is currently on trial along with 50 other men who also stand accused of raping her.

Gisèle Pélicot has garnered widespread praise for her unwavering bravery in demanding a public trial, refusing for the proceedings to be conducted behind closed doors. The accused rapists, ranging in age from 26 to 73 at the time of their arrest, include a local councilor, a journalist, a former police officer, a prison guard, a soldier, a firefighter, and a civil servant. Shockingly, many of them were neighbors of the couple in the small town of Mazan, near Avignon, in southern France.

The dark secret of Pélicot's harrowing ordeal only came to light when her husband was apprehended for filming up women's skirts in a supermarket. During the subsequent investigation, detectives stumbled upon a USB drive containing a file labeled "Abuses", which contained approximately 20,000 images and videos depicting Pélicot being raped up to 100 times. A video obtained by Paris Match demonstrated his deplorable behavior as he filmed up a woman's skirt in 2020.

Standing before the court in Avignon, Gisèle Pélicot expressed her gratitude to the police, acknowledging that they had "saved her life". When presented with evidence of the relentless rapes she had suffered, her world crumbled before her eyes. She proclaimed that the term "rape" did not adequately capture the intensity of the torment she endured, stating that it amounted to "torture".

Several of the men involved, recruited by Dominique Pélicot through an online chatroom, insist they were unaware that his wife had been drugged and believed their encounters with her were consensual.

At one of the protests in Marseille, 74-year-old Martine Ragon denounced the prevalent rape culture and emphasized the significance of the highly visible trial, stating that it allows people to raise awareness and speak out against it. Gérard Etienne, her 75-year-old partner, expressed his support for women who have suffered such atrocities and questioned how any person could inflict such harm upon another.

Photographer Pedro Campos, aged 21, highlighted the disturbing nature of the accused men, stating that they appeared to be ordinary individuals, dispelling the notion that there is a single prototype for a rapist.

The attack endured by Gisèle Pélicot has been described as the epitome of horror, encapsulating everything that society should strive to prevent from ever happening again, according to Deborah Poirier, a 36-year-old protester in Nice.

However, the trial, originally slated to last four months, was temporarily halted on Thursday, during its second week, as Dominique Pélicot fell ill on the day he was scheduled to be cross-examined. It is anticipated that the trial will resume on Monday, although presiding judge Roger Arata warned that further postponements may be necessary should Pélicot be unable to participate fully in the proceedings.