Some 250 people gathered in Brussels on Saturday in support of Gisèle Pelicot, the French woman who was raped by unknown men recruited on the internet by her husband over a period of almost ten years, the Brussels police said.
The demonstration was also a show of support for Mrs Pelicot's daughter, Caroline Darian, and more broadly for "all victims of rape, incest and sexual violence."
The trial started on 2 September before the criminal court in Avignon (France), with 51 defendants (the husband and 50 other men aged between 26 and 74) on trial for raping Gisèle Pelicot between July 2011 and October 2020, after she had been drugged with anxiolytics by her husband.
The case has attracted the interest of the media and the general public worldwide, with Gisèle Pelicot herself insisting that the trial would not be held behind closed doors, in order to draw attention to the phenomenon of chemical subjection. "Shame must change sides," she said.
'Mr Everyman'
From 12:00, the crowd gathered on the Place Poelaert in Brussels. Organised by several Belgian feminist associations and activists – including the founder of the ‘Balance ton bar’ movement, Maïté Meeûs – the demonstration was intended to send out a clear message: "We are all Gisèle." Several rallies were held on Saturday in towns across France, as well as in Liège.
"This trial is a powerful symbol of the sexual violence perpetrated against women and children," said the organisers. "It highlights the scourges of domestic violence, incest, chemical subjection, rape, medical vagrancy and impunity."
Far from the "monstrous" image of the rapist, the trial also shows that the person who commits these crimes is more often than not "Mr Everyman", said Meeûs. "Knowing this, and faced with figures that are still staggering, we must continue to mobilise, to tell the victims that we believe them and to free their voices."
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According to a report published in March 2020 by Amnesty International Belgium and SOS Viol, 47% of Belgians have experienced sexual violence. Some 90% of this violence occurs within the family and/or friends.
"We demand justice and protection for all victims. Shame must change sides, impunity must end, and the walls of rape culture must come down. Let us unite our voices and make it clear that the only people responsible are the aggressors and those who protect them," the organisers said.
They are therefore calling on the Belgian Government to take action in response to the scale and recurrence of sexual violence. Specifically, they are asking for more resources to train "medical staff, the legal profession and the police to recognise and systematically treat victims of chemical submission – and to do so at the first sign of doubt."
