Queen Camilla wrote to French rape survivor Gisèle Pelicot to express her support and praise her « dignity and courage » after following her case last year. Ms Pelicot became a global hero and worldwide symbol in the struggle against sexual violence after she waived her anonymity in the horrific mass-rape case involving her ex-husband and 50 other men. The Queen, who has put the issue of domestic violence at the heart of her work, is understood to have been struck by Ms Pelicot’s bravery.
A Palace source told Newsweek: « She was tremendously affected by the Madame Pelicot case in France and that lady’s extraordinary dignity and courage as she put herself in the public eye because, as she rightly put it, why should she be made to feel like a victim or hide away in shame? And, of course, she helped highlight a very significant societal problem despite all the personal suffering she’d been through. So, as a long-term supporter of survivors of domestic and sexual abuse, the queen wrote to Madame Pelicot privately. It was very much her instigation and determination to write to express support from the highest level. »
Last December, Dominique Pelicot, 72, was given a 20-year prison sentence for drugging his ex-wife, raping her and inviting dozens of men to also abuse her. He filmed the rapes of his wife, collecting hundreds of videos over nearly a decade.
The trial, lasting three and a half months, found 47 men guilty of rape, two of attempted rape and two of sexual assault. Seventeen men initially said they would appeal against their convictions, but seven of those have since changed their minds.
Those who decide to press ahead with their appeals will go on trial at the end of the year in Nîmes, southern France.
The high-profile court case sparked a worldwide movement that called for an immediate end to the shocking prevalence of rape.
Last year, the Queen participated in a landmark documentary on domestic abuse where she said that domestic abuse was a “heinous crime”, and she was determined to help ensure the issue is no longer a taboo.
The 90-minute ITV1 and ITVX film followed Camilla over the course of a year as she attended official engagements and private meetings with survivors and a visit to a refuge centre.
On ending domestic violence, Camilla told the documentary, Her Majesty The Queen: Behind Closed Doors: « It is going to take a long, long time because it has been going on forever.
« It’s been going since since time began. But I think if you look at the steps that we’ve taken since the bad old days, we have made a huge amount of progress, and I shall keep on trying until I am able to no more. »
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