Gisele Pelicot’s memoir ‘A Hymn to Life’ to revisit 2024 France rape trial that shocked the world

Paris: Gisele Pelicot, the French woman who became a global symbol of courage during the 2024 trial of her ex‑husband and 51 men convicted of raping her while she was unconscious, is set to release a memoir detailing her ordeal and decision to speak publicly.

Her book, ‘A Hymn to Life: Shame Has to Change Sides’, co‑written with French author Judith Perrignon, will be published worldwide next Tuesday in 22 languages. Veteran British actress Emma Thompson will narrate the English audiobook, describing the story as “absolutely extraordinary” and “difficult to read out loud”, but one that “inspires courage and compassion and crucially demands change”.

Extracts published in Le Monde this week reveal Pelicot’s shock when first contacted by police about her husband Dominique, whom she had long considered “a great guy”. After half a century of marriage, she recounts the horror of seeing photographs of herself being raped under the influence of sedatives he administered. “I didn’t recognize the individuals. Nor this woman. Her cheek was so flabby. Her mouth so limp. She was a rag doll,” she writes.

Pelicot refused to have her trial held behind closed doors, insisting the world should know what she had endured. Reflecting on that decision, she noted, “If I had been 20 years younger, I might not have dared. I would have been afraid of the stares, those damned stares that a woman of my generation has always had to deal with.”

The nearly four‑month trial in Avignon ended with the conviction of her husband and dozens of accomplices. Her testimony and resilience have since inspired reforms to France’s rape laws and turned her into an international icon, instantly recognisable with her brown bob and round sunglasses.

Yet the fallout has fractured her family. Her daughter, Caroline Darian, told media last August that she no longer speaks to her mother, accusing her of abandonment and alleging that Dominique Pelicot also abused her — claims he denies.

In her memoir, Pelicot also describes the “vague feelings” that haunted her before the trial, fearing she might become “a hostage to their stares, their lies, their cowardice, and their contempt”.

With publication imminent, A Hymn to Life promises to be both a deeply personal account and a rallying cry against sexual violence.

 AFP