Legion of Honour

Gisele Pelicot is a French woman who was one of 497 people to be named a knight of the Legion of Honour, on 14 July 2025 (Bastille Day).

She was covertly drugged & raped by her husband on numerous occasions over a nine year period. He also invited dozens of men, while she was unconscious. It took place mostly in their home in Mazan.

She became aware of the abuse in 2020, when her husband was arrested for upskirting women in a local super market& a police search of his computer equipment revealed images of her being raped.

The couple have three children. She had a career in administration for the state electricity board. She was prescribed a drug, her husband took advantage of her while she was asleep.

He began to add sleeping pills obtained from his own doctor to her food & drink. She suffered memory lapses due to the drugs. She worried if she had Alzheimer’s disease or a brain tumour. But the tests came negative.

She had suspicions & asked her husband if he was drugging her . But accepted his denial& remained unaware.

After her husband was arrested in Sept, 2020, for the supermarket incident, the police discovered her images. ‘Everything caved in, everything I built for 50 years’. She moved out of the house & filed a divorce. It was finalised just before the trial.

She had a right to anonymity& a trial behind doors. But she insisted on a public trial in order to raise awareness of drug facilitated sexual assault & encourage other victims to speak out. ‘The shame is theirs she said, referring to the men accused of raping her.

‘I’m lucky to have evidence. I have the proof which is very rare. So I have to go through to stand for all the victims’ she said of the videos. When called brave , she said, ‘I say it is not bravery, it’s will & determination to change society’

Her husband was sentenced for 20 years sentence & the remining from 3 to 15 years imprisonment. It was possible only because she stood firm. With her kind of attitude so many accused could face sentences.

Moving away from shame or guilt, she stood her ground till the sins were punished by law. In her case lies a lesson for all.

In many cases, it is found that the offender got scott free of the crime because it was never reported. Or because lack of evidence got him or rendered him innocent !

It was never the laurels that attracted her but the fight for justice was important!