As France is reeling from the trial of Dominique Pélicot, a 71-year-old man accused of drugging and inviting his wife Giselle, the debate over changing the legal definition of rape, long advocated by feminist groups, has renewed. It is coming to the surface. Men he recruited online to rape her over several years.
Dominique Pélicot has pleaded guilty, but many of the 50 other men on trial with him have professed their innocence, saying they believed they were engaging in some kind of role-playing scenario with the couple.
Gisèle Pélicot became a feminist icon in France after she waived her right to anonymity and called for her trial to be made public to bring about change. She said she hopes her case will help bring about a change in attitudes towards sexual assault. In particular, he said that shame should fall on the abuser, not the victim.
The push for consent-based legislation against rape had already gained significant support in France before the Pélicot trial. A November 2023 Ifop poll found that 89% of respondents were in favor of updating the legal definition of rape. But authorities have been slow to take action.
Last year, France opposed efforts to criminalize non-consensual sex globally. However, President Emmanuel Macron later said that while he opposed legislation at the European level on the issue, he favored new legislation in France.
Other European countries, including Spain and Belgium, have passed “yes only means yes” sexual consent laws in recent years.
This issue may soon be referred to the National Assembly. Sarah Legrain, a member of the hard-left France Unbowed movement, has submitted a proposal for legislation that would add consent to the definition of rape in France.
