French mass rape victim tells court she is 'broken' but determined

This court sketch created on October 10, 2024, shows Gisele Pelicot being applauded by the audience outside the courthouse of Avignon, during the trial of her former partner accused of drugging her for nearly ten years and inviting strangers to rape her at their home in Mazan. [AFP]

Gisele Pelicot, whose ex-husband and dozens of other men are on trial in France accused of raping her while she was drugged, told the court Wednesday she was "broken" by her ordeal, but also determined to "change society" for sex assault victims.

The 71-year-old has become a feminist icon in France since the trial of Dominique Pelicot and 50 other men opened last month in the southern French city of Avignon.