Gisèle Pelicot on confronting shame and finding hope

***This episode contains distressing details of rape and sexual assault***

Gisèle Pelicot earned international recognition after waiving her anonymity at her mass-rape trial in 2024, in which her former husband, Dominique, was sentenced to 20 years in jail for drugging her and inviting dozens of other men to their home in the south of France to rape her while she was unconscious.

In court, Gisèle Pelicot bravely faced her abusers, and in public, she stood stoically in defence of sexual assault survivors, saying that, “shame must change sides”.

The BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire talks through her recent interview with Gisèle Pelicot, as her memoir, A Hymn to Life, is published.

If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, you could speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support. Details of help available in many countries can be found at befrienders.org. For a list of organisations in the UK that can provide support, go to bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Producer: Hannah Moore

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

(Photo: Gisèle Pelicot in Paris, France. Credit: Dmitry Kostyukov/BBC Newsnight)