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At 73, Gisèle Pélicot stood on a Hay Festival stage in Wales to promote her memoir and to speak candidly about an unimaginable past and an unexpected future. Her voice, steady and resolute, drew attention not only for the story she told but for the hope she now carries.
How a criminal case exposed a decade of abuse
Investigations revealed a long pattern of betrayal and violence. Between 2011 and 2020, prosecutors say Dominique Pélicot repeatedly drugged his wife with anxiolytics.
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He then invited men he found online to assault her while she was unconscious and recorded the attacks. The case erupted publicly after his arrest in a Carcassonne supermarket in 2020, filmed allegedly taking covert footage under women’s skirts.
- Authorities attribute more than 200 assaults to the scheme.
- Seventy-two men were implicated by the inquiry.
- Fifty of those men were tried and convicted.
Dominique Pélicot was himself found guilty and handed a prison term. He received a twenty-year sentence and did not appeal the ruling.
From survivor to author: the book that put her story on the map
Earlier this year, Gisèle published a memoir that recounts the abuses and the fraught legal battle that followed. The book, released by Flammarion, has become a platform for her testimony and for a wider conversation on chemical submission.
Her appearance at Hay Festival attracted readers and activists. There she spoke about the reasons she wrote the book and how telling her story helped her regain agency.
A late-in-life romance that surprised her
Alongside her public life, Gisèle revealed a private turn: she has been in a relationship with Jean-Loup Agopian for about a year. The connection came as an unplanned renewal of trust.
She admitted she did not expect to fall in love again, especially at her age. The couple met through friends from the Île de Ré and found common ground in loss and resilience. Jean-Loup had recently lost his wife to a degenerative illness after a long marriage.
Glimpses of their life together
- He worked as cabin crew at Air France.
- His children are in aviation and have welcomed Gisèle into the family.
- At a family wedding, a note on her place setting thanked her for bringing joy and for making their father happy.
Gisèle describes the relationship as a source of strength and a step toward trusting men again. She calls it both a personal victory and a quiet form of revenge against the cruelty she endured.
Turning trauma into activism: her public mission
Since the trial, Gisèle has become a visible advocate against violence toward women. Supporters around the world now see her as a symbol of resistance and resilience.
At the festival she brought her daughter, Caroline Darian, on stage. Caroline founded M’endors pas, an association dedicated to combating chemical submission and helping survivors.
- Gisèle highlighted the need for prevention and education.
- She praised her daughter’s tireless campaigning.
- Their joint appearance reinforced their close bond and shared mission.
On #MeToo, education, and hope for the future
Addressing the impact of #MeToo and the broader movement to free victims’ voices, Gisèle expressed guarded optimism. She believes change is possible through early education and collective effort.
She urged teaching respect to children from a young age, envisioning a future where men and women live in harmony. Her remarks won warm applause from the audience and underscored a commitment to prevention rather than only punishment.
Her public testimony and activism continue to draw international attention, reshaping how survivors are heard and how societies respond to sexual violence.
