Irish Examiner view: We should recognise Gisèle Pelicot's incredible courage
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The Gisèle Pelicot trial concluded yesterday in France, with 51 men — including the ex-husband of Ms Pelicot — found guilty of rape and other sexual offences.
The sentences handed down in the court in Avignon ranged from three to 20 years.
The testimony heard at this trial was truly shocking. That is an overused description in the modern age, when a certain jadedness often greets matters described as unprecedented or unbelievable, but not in this case.
Ms Pelicot had been regularly drugged by her husband Dominique over the course of a decade and, while under the influence, she was raped and sexually abused by dozens of men her husband had invited to their home.
It is difficult to comprehend the depravity of a mind that was able to conceive, plan, and execute a scheme such as this, which is not to underplay the depravity of those who were willing participants in the scheme. One of the striking images of the trial was a photograph taken outside the courthouse as the defendants had to queue to enter: The sheer number of them brought home the enormity of the crime.
Dominique Pelicot was sentenced to 20 years for drugging and raping his wife and allowing other men to rape her while she was unconscious.
Of the 50 others accused of rape, one was acquitted but found guilty of aggravated sexual assault. Another man was also found guilty on the sexual assault charge that he was tried for, which means that all 51 defendants were found guilty in one way or another.
It should be pointed out that Pelicot was only caught when an alert security guard saw him surreptitiously photographing women in a supermarket — upskirting is the graphic but accurate term. The security guard urged the women to file complaints and only then did the full horror emerge.
If Pelicot had not been caught then, we might never have learned of his crimes.
The courage Gisèle Pelicot has shown, from waiving her anonymity for the court case to her sheer refusal to be broken by the experience, is incredible. By any standards, she deserves to be celebrated as the woman of the year.
We are at a point in the calendar when family is paramount and when relatives we have lost come to mind with a particular power. For those who have lost loved ones at this particular time of the year, it can be even more challenging.
The Johnston family of Shannon in Clare is a case in point.
Aoife Johnston was aged 16 when she died in University Hospital Limerick (UHL) after contracting meningitis-related sepsis on December 19, 2022.
She was referred by her GP and should have been treated with the necessary medication within an hour, but instead she spent hours on a trolley while her parents, James and Carol, pleaded with hospital staff for the antibiotics that could have saved her life.
The case will be familiar to many readers, as was the broad outline of the situation the Johnston family found themselves in. Anyone who has had to spend time in an Irish hospital emergency department will know just how chaotic that experience can be.
At the inquest into Aoife’s death in Limerick Coroner’s Court in April, a verdict of “medical misadventure” was returned — with staff on duty that night describing the UHL emergency department it as a “war zone”.
The consultant on call the weekend Aoife died, James Gray, called it a “death trap”. However, when the headlines fade, the family are left with their grief.
In a powerful interview with the Irish Examiner, Aoife’s sisters Meagan and Kate articulated that grief.
“You are still waiting for her name to pop up on your phone,” Kate told Alison O’Reilly.
"I could be driving along the road, and a song would come on and I would start crying.” Meagan added:
May the Johnstons find some peace in the midst of their heartbreak.
Santa is under pressure but is expected to make it to all homes on his list again this year, which should lead to plenty of happiness on the morning of December 25.
It is understandable that, in the excitement of the day, people get caught up in the thrill of the season and post pictures online of the gifts left under the tree.
However, Peopl Insurance, which operates in partnership with credit unions across the country, has issued a warning ahead of the big day, pointing out that homes are at increased risk of being targeted by thieves over the festive season.
A spokesperson pointed out that many people visiting friends and families over Christmas leave their homes empty for extended periods of time, adding: “From new smartphones to new bikes to PlayStations and so on, many Christmas gifts are worth hundreds of euro — and thieves are well aware of this.
“So don’t let a simple message on social media ultimately be the precursor of a break-in to your home.”
The reasoning is sound. Drawing attention to the value of items in your home when it may well be vacant for days at a time may be asking for trouble. The urge to share everything on social media may be strong, but in this case readers should leave the smartphone to one side.