Does this case really 'exemplify systemic male violence'?
The Gisele Pelicot case is being used as a weapon by the BBC to casually demonise all men.
In the aftermath of Dominique Pelicot’s conviction for orchestrating the mass rape of his wife, a bizarre crime that raises its own questions, the BBC, and women activist groups are leveraging the case to vilify all men. The BBC have interviewed women's rights activists like Elsa Labouret about the case who said that it "exemplifies systemic male violence" when, in reality the case is unique in both French and British history.
Statements like, “This is the true face of patriarchy,” from activist Marlene Durand, echo across social media with NGOs like Equality Now are using the case as an excuse to push their own agenda, calling on governments to "dismantle toxic masculinity through policy action.”
Dominique Pelicot was sentenced on 18 December to 20 years in prison by the Cour d’Assises in Paris. He faced charges of repeatedly raping his wife and orchestrating her sexual abuse by 50 co-defendants, who were also found guilty. The crimes, described as “the most egregious sexual violence trial in France’s modern history,” occurred between 2010 and 2015 in Bordeaux. The trial began on 15 September and concluded after three months of harrowing testimonies, including Gisele Pelicot’s emotional account.
The Centre for Women's Justice, felt they needed to 'issue a statement' in which it said
“This case has been a game changer in shining a light on the prevalence of rape culture in everyday society and in shifting the narrative from victim blaming to placing the shame on the perpetrators. It has highlighted marital rape and the banality of rapists who can be men from any walk of life. “It has also highlighted the use of drugs to incapacitate victims and whilst the French law of rape does not rely on absence of consent, in this case rendering the victim unconscious must have rightly been regarded as a form of coercion.”
However, during the trial questions were asked about Madam Gisele Pelicot's knowledge of what was happening to her during that period with some even suggesting that the 71 year old not only knew what was happening but even played an active roll in the sex. However, there is no evidence that she was aware of anything untoward and to that end that judge said he was entirely happy with her assertion that her husband had successfully drugged her, over 100 times, despite him being a retired electrician and not a doctor or pharmacist.
Whatever the truth about this bizarre case, using it as an 'example' of male behaviour is outrageous in the extreme, yet is now a depressingly common trick by left-wing media using it to push their identity politics.
Social media users have lambasted the broad-brush vilification of men. @CommonSenseVoice tweeted,
“What Dominique did is vile. But smearing all men with his actions is equally wrong.” whilst Conservative MP James Longworth commented,
“This tragic case demands justice, not gender warfare. NGOs and media must stop perpetuating harmful stereotypes.”
Meanwhile, critics on Reddit debated whether such rhetoric alienates men from crucial conversations about consent.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 1.6% of men in England and Wales were victims of sexual assault in the year ending March 2023, a figure dwarfed by the 4.2% of women, yet not insignificant. The World Health Organisation (WHO) states that while violence against women is pervasive, sweeping accusations against men do not reflect the diversity of behaviours among them. The Equality Now report, titled "Patriarchy and Power," was published on 1 December and argues for a global overhaul of male-dominated cultural norms, but does not contextualise the rarity of cases like Pelicot’s.
The outcry sparked by this case and its framing in media narratives reinforces fears of deepening gender divides. Gisele Pelicot’s decision to waive her anonymity highlighted her extraordinary courage, but critics argue her story should not serve as the foundation for divisive political agendas.
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