Gisèle Pelicot Releases Memoir After Landmark Rape Trial
Pelicot published 'A Hymn to Life' in 22 languages recounting years of drugging and mass rape that led to December 2024 convictions and an October law change.
Overview
Gisèle Pelicot’s memoir 'A Hymn to Life: Shame Has to Change Sides' was released in 22 languages and went on sale Tuesday, Feb. 17, the publisher said.
The book recounts that her then-husband drugged her and invited dozens of men to rape her, a case that produced a landmark 2024 trial and prompted an October law redefining rape by consent.
Simone Biles paid tribute to Pelicot, and Pelicot said she waived her anonymity and spoke publicly to help other victims, telling a French national channel she wanted her story to help others.
In December 2024, Dominique Pelicot and 50 other men were convicted of sexually assaulting her between 2011 and 2020, with Dominique sentenced to 20 years and others to three to 15 years.
Pelicot said the book is meant to deliver a message of hope to women in difficult periods, and she described how writing it helped her rebuild and reflect on her life.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as an inspirational survivor narrative and a catalyst for legal reform, emphasizing Pelicot’s resilience and societal impact. Language such as “horror,” “powerful message of hope,” and “global icon,” along with selective sourcing (Pelicot, sympathetic figures) and emphasis on convictions and law changes, foreground victim-centered accountability.
Sources (8)
FAQ
Pelicot's case prompted an October law change in France that redefined rape by consent, representing a significant shift in how the country's legal system addresses sexual violence[1]. This legislative change was part of a broader reckoning over rape culture in France and beyond sparked by her landmark 2024 trial and her decision to waive anonymity and speak publicly about her experience[1].
In December 2024, Dominique Pelicot (her then-husband) and 50 other men were convicted of sexually assaulting her between 2011 and 2020. Dominique Pelicot was sentenced to 20 years in prison, while the other 50 men received sentences ranging from three to 15 years[1].
Pelicot decided to waive her anonymity and speak publicly to help other victims of sexual abuse. She stated, "I wanted my story to help others," and emphasized that her book is meant to deliver "a message of hope to all the women who are going through a very complicated period in their lives[1]." Simone Biles noted that by refusing to feel shame, Pelicot "paves the way for other victims to come forward[1]."
The memoir is titled "A Hymn to Life, Shame Has to Change Sides[1]." The book recounts her experience of being drugged by her then-husband and then raped by dozens of men he invited over a period spanning 2011 to 2020. Pelicot describes in the memoir how writing it allowed her to engage in self-reflection, take stock of her life, and rebuild herself, stating "I had to try to rebuild myself on this field of ruins. Today I am a woman standing strong[1]."
Simone Biles, an Olympic gold medalist and survivor of sexual abuse herself, paid tribute to Pelicot in a message broadcast by the BBC. Biles stated: "Gisèle has demonstrated to the world that it's not for victims of sexual abuse to feel shame — it's the perpetrators. By waiving her anonymity and refusing to feel shame, Gisèle paves the way for other victims to come forward[1]."
History
4 sources