Warning: This story contains references to details that some readers may find distressing.
Being married to, perhaps the worst sexual predator in history is one side of the story; to be his victim, is another. And Gisele Pelicot has suffered through the entire ordeal, emerging as the valiant survivor, who stands tall and unrelenting.
She has been subjected to mass rape orchestrated by her husband, Dominique Pelicot, for over a decade, who used forums and chatrooms to call in strangers while she was under chemical submission, saving the videos on the hard drive titled “abuse”.
Gisele’s choice to waive her anonymity during the trial is an unprecedented and unusually brave and remarkable decision. I have a new champion. A hero, in the truest form.
The subtle red flags are all there: medically uninvestigated sleepiness, sexually transmitted infections, and unexplained memory lapses which were ignored, enough to allow the atrocities to continue till Dominique’s arrest in 2020 for taking upskirt photographs of women at a supermarket. His cell phones and computing equipment had horrific recordings and pictures which also included titles like “My Naked Daughter”.
The relative anonymity that the internet gives to its users tends to bring out the beasts, as it did in Gisele’s case. While I can draw many parallels with similar issues here, the fact that this went on for such a long time, being drug-facilitated with a technological component, within the domestic environs, is making me sit up and tweak the protocols that we are in the process of developing in Pakistan.
Domestic violence (DV) is an endemic scenario; called the “Shadow Pandemic” in the Covid-19 years. The intensity, modes, and manner may change, but the victims remain the same: women, children, the elderly, and persons with mental/physical disabilities. Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) can be as horrific as Gisele’s rapes are and may continue for the entire life.
In our local context, what happens within the confines of a home, must remain there. Very few women have the freedom, courage, or support to report such incidences, much less follow through in a long, convoluted trial.
The most common access point for state intervention in such cases is the hospital, where such victims often come for redressal of physical symptoms.
The health care providers (HCP) must understand that DV or IPV is an escalating phenomenon, often resulting in a vicious cycle, mostly compounded by the addictions (cellular/porn included), emotional and financial status of the assailant.
The tag of “medicolegal ” and overt hesitation of the attending doctor to handle a “police matter” actually becomes a deterrent for the victims to either approach or receive treatment at any health facility. The Right to make an informed choice when it comes to involving the police should be a matter of routine in such cases.
The actors of our Criminal Justice System (CJS) must understand the drug-facilitated rape or rape under chemical submission and its intersectionality with consent, especially as marital rape now stands penalised under the Anti-Rape Act 2021.
The use of all referral pathways must be the number one priority for the victim-centric approach and the absolute duty of the HCP. The pathway must include psychiatric assessment/psychological rehabilitation, assessment and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs)/hepatitis/HIV-AIDS, and any other medical or gynecological needs. This must be followed as a Need-Based Approach.
The actors of our Criminal Justice System (CJS) must understand the drug-facilitated rape or rape under chemical submission and its intersectionality with consent, especially as marital rape now stands penalised under the Anti-Rape Act 2021.
Dependence upon DNA profiling and cross-matching for positive identification of the accused is understandable; But not to the exclusion of all corroborative evidences.
Gisele’s case is predominantly based on video evidence available which has been deemed admissible as primary evidence.
Our investigative and prosecutorial approach requires an understanding of the latest trends of subjugation being employed increasingly by the perpetrators and technological tools available for the assistance of the CJS.
As we focus on the case after all has happened, it is high time to focus on preventive strategies with the development of evidence-based intervention points, essentially focusing on the family environment and engaging with men and boys.
Going through the testimonies of the apprehended accused, I noticed how some talked about “accidental rape”, and others professed innocence, And not one of those identified ever had the inclination/courage to bring it to the attention of the authorities. Was it cowardice or plain evilness that made them so complicit?
In the words of Gisele’s son-in-law, “You cannot imagine the unimaginable”; perhaps it is time we did.