"Ich war nicht nur Opfer"Wie Gisèle Pelicot den Abgrund überwandBevor Gisèle Pelicot in dem Prozess gegen ihren Mann und 50 Mittäter zu einer Ikone wurde, war sie das Opfer zahlreicher Vergewaltigungen. Sie fürchtet, als Frau, "die männlichen Dominanzansprüchen zum Opfer gefallen war", niedergetrampelt zu werden - und triumphiert.Von Solveig Bach 22.02.2026
Gisèle Pelicot, once a victim of repeated rapes orchestrated by her husband Dominique Pelicot and 50 accomplices, has emerged as an icon through her memoir, "Hymne an das Leben," released internationally in 20 languages. The case, which surfaced in French regional press in late 2020 and became public in mid-2021 with 53 suspects identified, involved Dominique Pelicot drugging and offering his wife for sexual assault to other men via an online chatroom named "à son insu" (without her knowledge). Pelicot rejects the passive categorization of "victim," asserting her agency and happiness despite the decade-long abuse. She navigated the legal proceedings and public scrutiny, enduring the display of disturbing videos and attempts to reframe the acts, ultimately seeing all defendants convicted, with Dominique receiving a 20-year sentence. Pelicot's triumph lies in reclaiming her narrative and identity, refusing to be solely defined by her trauma.
