Giséle Pelicot, who testified against her husband and the dozensof other men he persuaded to rape her while she was unconscious, has been awarded France’s top civic honour.
Pelicot was named a knight of the Legion of Honour with the occasion of France’s national day, July 14.
In a remarkable act of bravery, Pelicot refused to remain anonymous and publicly testified at a trial in 2024 against the husband she divorced for his vile acts: Dominique Pelicot.
She has however kept his name as a tribute to her children’s honour.
Pelicot has called the affair “a trial of cowardice” because of the accomplices denying awareness of the fact that the rape on Pelicot while she was sleeping was not consensual.
All were found guilty.
“Shame is theirs, not ours”, said Giséle Pelicot, who insisted the trial go down with doors open.
President Emmanuel Macron also awarded writers, artists and international figures like Pharrell Williams, Marc Levy, Lea Drucker, Sylvie Vartan, and Yvette Levy.
