Queen Camilla writes to French rape survivor Gisèle Pelicot in a gesture of support – The Times of India

Queen Camilla writes to French rape survivor Gisèle Pelicot in a gesture of support (Image credit score: AP, ANI)

UK’s Queen Camilla despatched a personal letter of support to French rape survivor Gisèle Pelicot, recognising her “extraordinary dignity and braveness”, reported Newsweek quoting a palace aide.
“She was tremendously affected by the Madame Pelicot case in France and that woman’s extraordinary dignity and braveness as she put herself in the general public eye,” a palace supply was quoted as saying by the information outlet. “As a result of, as she rightly put it, why ought to she be made to really feel like a sufferer or disguise away in disgrace?”, the supply added.
In accordance to Newsweek, The Queen wished to attain out personally to acknowledge Pelicot’s resilience and the influence she has made in highlighting a important societal problem.
“So, as a lengthy-time period supporter of survivors of home and sexual abuse, the Queen wrote to Madame Pelicot privately. It was very a lot her instigation and dedication to write to categorical support from the very best degree,” the supply stated.
Pelicot, 72, endured practically a decade of horrific abuse by the hands of her former husband, Dominique Pelicot, who drugged, raped, and filmed her, whereas additionally enlisting dozens of different males to do the identical.
The abuse, which occurred between 2011 and 2020, was uncovered when Dominique was caught filming girls up their skirts in a grocery store. Upon investigation, authorities found a arduous drive containing over 200 movies documenting the crimes.
Dominique Pelicot was sentenced to 20 years in jail in December 2024 after standing trial alongside 50 co-defendants, most of whom had been additionally convicted of rape or sexual assault. The scale of the abuse made it France’s largest-ever rape trial, drawing widespread media consideration.
Gisèle Pelicot made headlines for waiving her anonymity and selecting to face her 51 alleged rapists in court docket. She defined her choice as an effort to make the “disgrace swap sides”, making certain that perpetrators, not victims, carried the stigma of sexual violence. Her bravery earned her reward throughout France and internationally, with supporters lining up exterior the court docket to applaud her and current her with flowers, BBC reported.
Queen Camilla has been an energetic advocate in opposition to home and sexual violence for years. In November, ITV aired a documentary following her marketing campaign work, the place she urged for a cultural shift to finish violence in opposition to girls and open conversations on abuse.
She has additionally visited quite a few charities supporting survivors. In February, she visited Courageous Areas in Exeter, England, which is a two-12 months check and be taught challenge and helps girls dealing with a number of disadvantages, homelessness, trauma, and home and sexual violence. There she met girls rebuilding their lives after home violence.
“The Queen is a nice advocate for girls,” Newsweek quoted Afnan Tellesy, 37, after assembly Camilla on the charity.