As the survivor faces one of her rapists during legal proceedings, what shifts have taken place in France?
France's mass rape victim, the woman at the center of the case, is returning to court on Monday to confront one of her attackers, the sole individual who is appealing against last year's trial verdict in which a collective of 51 defendants were convicted of attacking her as she was, under the influence, administered by her partner in their residence.
During that period, Madame Pelicot's defiant public stance was regarded as a potentially catalytic moment in the struggle with assault. Yet within the country, that positive outlook appears to be wilting.
"I am going to harm you unless you depart immediately," snarled a individual located by a medieval church in the town, the scenic area where the individuals had their home.
He'd just overheard me asking an elderly woman about the impact of the court trial on the country and, while threatening to destroy our camera too, was now clarifying that the locality was fed up with being linked to one of the globally infamous legal proceedings for assault.
Several days prior, the mayor of Mazan had put forth a more diplomatic statement of the same argument, in a public statement that described the survivor's years-long ordeal as "a private matter… that has nothing to do with us."
It is easy to comprehend Mayor Louis Bonnet's desire to protect his town's reputation and its travel business. But it seems worth noting that a previous period, he'd made headlines nationwide after he'd told me, twice, in an discussion, that he sought to "minimize" the gravity of the survivor's experiences because "there were no fatalities", and no children were involved.
Furthermore it is important to observe that almost all the women we did speak to in the town in the past few days disagreed with the leader's intention to view the legal matter as, primarily, something to "leave behind."
Having a smoke in a covered entryway near the church, a public employee in her thirties, who gave her name as the individual, spoke with undisguised bitterness.
"It is not a topic of conversation, even here in Mazan. It's as if it never happened. I know someone going through family abuse right now. However females conceal it. They fear the individuals who engage in such behavior," she stated, mentioning that she was "certain" that additional Gisèle Pelicot's rapists had not been caught, and free, in the community.
Moving through the area near a few sunbathing cats, a different individual, 68, was similarly willing to discuss, but took a different view of the Pelicot case.
"Globally things are changing. France is evolving." With Madame Pelicot's help? "Absolutely. It has given impetus, for women to speak freely," she told me, with conviction.
Nationwide, there is no doubt that the coverage produced by the survivor's worldwide shared resolve that "the stigma ought to shift" - from victim to rapist – has provided added momentum to a campaign against assault already energised by the social initiative.
"In my opinion altering conduct is something that takes generations. [But] the proceedings sparked a significant, landmark initiative… opposing assault, and fighting exemption from punishment," stated an activist, who manages a alliance of numerous advocacy bodies in France. "We're focused on instructing experts, assisting survivors, on examinations."
"Certainly, the nation has transformed. The [number of] complaints of rapes has tripled, indicating that those affected – ladies and young women – they voice their experiences and they seek legal recourse," agreed an advocate, voice of the NGO "Dare to be feminist".
However, the vigor and hope that overwhelmed the survivor at the end of the year, as she left the Avignon courthouse and into a crowd of advocates, have not led to many significant alterations to the manner the French state tackles the matter of assault.
In fact, there is a near consensus among advocates and professionals that conditions are, rather, declining.
"Unfortunately, the government does not react," stated the spokesperson, citing figures showing that numbers of guilty verdicts are not improving despite a sharp rise in cases of assault.
"The situation is dire. There is resistance. Notions supporting assault are returning with force. This is evident in the male-centric groups rising in popularity, especially with adolescent males," added the activist,
