MELBOURNE – A group of Gisèle Pelicot’s Australian admirers said Friday they're moved that the victim in France’s notorious drugging-and-rape case has acknowledged her distant supporters Down Under by wearing a scarf adorned with Aboriginal art.
The 72-year-old who refused to remain an anonymous victim wore the silk scarf several times during the trial in Avignon, including when 51 men were convicted and sentenced to prison for molesting her after she had been drugged by her former husband, Dominique Pelicot.
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Thursday's ruling made headlines around the world, prompting reactions from thousands of individuals and political leaders alike who praised her bravery and the awareness raised by her trial of sexual violence against women.
“Shame must change sides. Thank you, Gisèle Pelicot!” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wrote on social platform X. “You courageously came out of anonymity and went public and battled for justice. You gave women worldwide a strong voice. The disgrace is always the perpetrator’s.”
“Too often, victims of sexualized violence are not believed or even given a share of the blame,” German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser wrote on X. “Gisèle Pelicot encouraged a lot of people to fight back and to report the violence — what an admirable woman! It is not the victims but the perpetrators who should be ashamed.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez praised Pelicot's “dignity.”
The story dominated the news in Britain, with Pelicot’s photo splashed across news websites and newspaper front pages, with headlines hailing her courage and strength.
“World’s Bravest Woman,” the Daily Mirror cover proclaimed.
The story took up all of the Guardian’s front page beneath the masthead and continued on several pages inside.
The Daily Mail devoted seven pages to the court case, and columnist Sarah Vine declared Pelicot woman of the year. “For courageously taking down her scumbag husband, she deserves everyone’s respect,” the headline said.
The scarf that Pelicot donned was a 220 Australian dollar ($137) gift from a Sydney-based rights advocacy group, the Older Women’s Network, its chief executive Yumi Lee said.
“We were astounded, absolutely gobsmacked, honored that she accepted our gesture of solidarity,” Lee said.
Lee, 59, said her group, which has 1,000 members across New South Wales state and campaigns on issues including sexual violence, raised donations to buy the scarf in September when the court case was already underway.
Members decided on the gesture because Avignon, 17,000 kilometers (11,000 miles) from Sydney, was too distant for most to travel to demonstrate their support in person, Lee said.
Pelicot "has said that shame has to change sides and she wants all the victims of sexual assault to think that if she can do it, they can too,” Lee said.
“She has also proven that sexual assault knows no barriers. Everyone from young to old are victims of sexual assault. So she’s busted that myth,” Lee added.
Lee said she was surprised that Pelicot’s lawyer wrote to her group to acknowledge receipt of the scarf.
“Her lawyer wrote to us to say she has received it and was interested in the fact that it’s a First Nations design," Lee said.
The scarf is a reproduction of the art of Indigenous painter Mulyatingki Marney. It depicts a cluster of saltwater pools, known for their healing properties, on Marney’s traditional land, the retailer One of Twelve said on its website.
The Canberra-based business showcases art from the Asia-Pacific region and pays the artists royalties from the sale of scarves and ties, as well as woven bags from Papua New Guinea called bilums.
“We picked this design because, number one, it’s beautiful, it’s got lovely colors, it’s drawn by a First Nations, older woman and it’s a story about healing,” Lee said.
One of Twelve owner Anna Saboisky said the attention Pelicot had brought to their scarf had overwhelmed the tiny business.
A second print run of scarves had almost sold out and a third was on its way, she said.
“Since I woke up this morning, I’ve had about 20 orders placed online,” Saboisky said. “We’re just a small business. It’s completely unprecedented to have so much interest in one scarf."
Lee said if Avignon had not been so far away, “we would be there shouting.”
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This story has been corrected to give Gisèle Pelicot's age as 72.