Judge in French rape case: Show the videos

A French judge in the trial of dozens of men accused of raping an unconscious woman whose now-former husband repeatedly drugged her so he and others could attack her decided Friday to release to the public some of the video recordings of the alleged rapes to make accessible. The decision by Judge Roger Arata in Avignon to allow journalists and the public who attended the trial to view the recordings marks a stunning turnaround in the case that has rocked France, according to the AP. It follows a two-week legal battle in which journalists who followed the trial and lawyers for Gisele Pelicot – who was allegedly raped over the course of a decade – argued that the videos were crucial to fully understanding the extraordinary trial. With Friday's decision, Judge Arata overturned his earlier ruling on September 20 that the videos would only be shown on a case-by-case basis and privately.

Pelicot, 71, has become a symbol of the fight against sexual violence in France. She has insisted that the trial be held in public, contrary to the court's suggestion that it be held behind closed doors. Since the hearings began on September 2nd, Pelicot has met in person almost daily with his ex-husband Dominique Pelicot and 49 other alleged rapists. She was praised for her courage and composure and admired for speaking in a calm and clear voice and allowing her full name to be published – unusual for victims in rape trials under French law. Her insistence that the videos recorded by her ex-husband and presented as evidence in the trial – which show men sexually abusing her seemingly sluggish body – be shown to the public reflects her desire for the trial to be viewed as should serve as a national example. said one of her lawyers.

“It's a unique case: we don't have a single account of rape. We have dozens, hundreds of videos of a rape,” said lawyer Stephane Babonneau. “Gisele Pelicot believes this shock wave is necessary so that no one can say afterwards: 'I didn't know it was rape.'” The explicit videos shown during the trial highlighted the difficulties that sexual victims face Face-to-face violence in France is particularly important, Pelicot's lawyers say, since the vast majority of defendants deny the rape allegations. Some defendants claim that Pelicot's husband tricked them; Others say he forced them to have sex with her and they were scared. Still others argue that they believed she had consented or that her husband's consent was sufficient. The videos, say the lawyers, speak for themselves. More here.

(More stories from Dominique Pelicot.)