The Pelicot trial revealed the banality of gender-based violence | Eva Wiseman
As we watched with horror as the Pelicot rape trial unfolded, more and more questions about the society we live in came to the surface
A friend of mine says that she has found herself unable to have sex with her boyfriend after following the Pelicot rape trial. Something uncomfortable has shifted within her. I hear similar things from many women I know – people quitting dating, people ending friendships, all of us handed a piece of knowledge it’s hard to hold on to while also living alongside men. I sat in a car with a guy friend talking about his previous confusion at women’s opposition to the “not all men” hashtag and he said, sort of low, I get it now. We feel ripples after a crime like this – a rock falls in a lake and generations of people get seasick, or gasp, or drown.
There was an image shared at the beginning of the trial that showed some of the 50 defendants queueing to be admitted to court. All had their faces turned away from the camera, and all were found guilty of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault. While the portrait of Gisèle Pelicot has become iconic, it’s this photo that for me feels like the defining image of the trial, as a portrait of dull and utter ordinariness. As a reminder that violence against women is not exceptional, or unexpected, or performed only by a handful of monsters. This queue of defendants were men aged between 26 and 74, normal men who included a nurse, lorry drivers and a journalist – all they had in common was that they lived nearish the Pelicot’s rural home and they fantasised about raping an unconscious woman.
Continue reading...-
Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers goes on trial over allegations of domestic violence
Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers is scheduled to go on trial Wednesday for allegedly shoving his girlfriend’s head into a wall.NBC News - 5d -
Tennis player Eva Lys didn’t originally qualify for the Australian Open — but went on to win almost $264,000 anyway
Eva Lys had already booked a flight home after failing to qualify for the Australian Open — but scored a second shot at competing after a “lucky loser” spot opened up.MarketWatch - 5d -
Is baldness a thing of the past? Or will it grow on us again? | Eva Wiseman
As hair-loss treatments improve, one wonders if we’ll start to get nostalgic for a good combover. It is with mixed emotions that I announce the end of baldness. Rest in pates, old friend. This year ...The Guardian - Jan. 19 -
France Wants to Prosecute the Founder of Chat Site Linked to Pelicot Rapes
Isaac Steidl founded the Coco platform, which authorities tied to criminal activity for years. The effort to hold Mr. Steidl accountable tests a new legal frontier.The New York Times - Jan. 17 -
Caroline Darian, daughter of Dominique Pelicot, says he "should die in prison"
"When I look back, I don't really remember the father that I thought he was. I look straight to the criminal, the sexual criminal he is," Caroline Darian says.CBS News - Jan. 13 -
'My father should die in prison', daughter of Dominique Pelicot tells BBC
Caroline Darian has become a vocal advocate for victims of sexual violence in the wake of her mother's trial.BBC News - Jan. 11 -
France Indicts Founder of Notorious Website Used in Pelicot Rape Case
The site, coco.fr, was shut down in June after being linked to more than 23,000 sexual abuse and other cases in France alone, including the rape trial that shocked the country last year.The New York Times - Jan. 9 -
France charges founder of website used by Dominique Pelicot
Isaac Steidl charged over site used by criminals including man convicted of recruiting strangers to rape his wife. France has charged the founder of an adult website used to commit sexual offences, ...The Guardian - Jan. 9 -
French police arrest founder of website used by Dominique Pelicot
Isaac Steidl being held over site used by criminals including man convicted of recruiting strangers to rape his wife. The founder of the website used by Dominique Pelicot to recruit strangers to ...The Guardian - Jan. 8
More from The Guardian
-
Auschwitz survivor warns of ‘huge rise in antisemitism’ in speech marking 80 years since death camp’s liberation – live
In moving speech, Marian Turski warns that current conditions are similar to those which led to the Holocaust. ‘I waved at my mother and she waved back. That was the last time we saw her’: three ...The Guardian - 27m -
Tens of thousands of Palestinians return to north Gaza as Israel opens checkpoints
People begin long walk at dawn to what remains of their homes after 24-hour delay over release of Israeli hostage. Middle East crisis – live updates Tens of thousands of Palestinians crossed ...The Guardian - 4h -
Belarus opposition and western leaders denounce stage-managed Lukashenko victory
German foreign minister calls election ‘bitter day’, while Vladimir Putin congratulates autocrat on ‘confident victory’. Western leaders and the Belarusian opposition have denounced Alexander ...The Guardian - 6h -
Rwandan-backed rebels M23 claim capture of eastern DRC city Goma
Fighters enter city on border with Rwanda after lightning advance, raising risk of broader regional war. Fighters from the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group claim to ...The Guardian - 5h -
Trump expected to sign executive orders to reshape military including ban on transgender troops, reports say – live
US president expected to sign three executive orders to reshape the military, including ban on transgender service members and gutting DEI programs. The Senate is expected on Monday to vote on the ...The Guardian - 25m
More in World
-
Live Updates: In Carts and on Foot, War-Weary Gazans Begin Long Trek Home
Palestinians began arriving in northern Gaza, months after Israel ordered them out. The Israel-Hamas cease-fire was holding after faltering over the weekend. More hostage-prisoner swaps are scheduled.The New York Times - 5m -
They Fled a Rebel Advance. Then the Rebels Marched on Their Refuge.
People who fled M23 rebels around Goma, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, have found themselves with nowhere left to go.The New York Times - 10m -
Musk Says Germany Has ‘Too Much of a Focus on Past Guilt’
His comments to the hard-right Alternative for Germany party escalated efforts by the billionaire to influence the country’s election for chancellor next month.The New York Times - 11m -
Trump expected to sign executive orders to reshape military including ban on transgender troops, reports say – live
US president expected to sign three executive orders to reshape the military, including ban on transgender service members and gutting DEI programs. The Senate is expected on Monday to vote on the ...The Guardian - 25m -
Keir Starmer did not discuss threat of US tariffs on UK imports in first call with Donald Trump, No 10 says – UK politics live
Downing Street says PM’s call with Trump was ‘warm’ and did not include tariffs, Greenland, defence-spending or Ukraine. The hearing has stopped for a short break. Heather Hallett, the chair, tells ...The Guardian - 25m