Podcast Summary: "The Woman at the Center of the French Rape Trial That Shocked the World"

The Interview • The New York Times • February 14, 2026
Host: Lulu Garcia-Navarro
Guest: Giselle Pelicault

Overview

This searing episode presents the first in-depth English-language interview with Giselle Pelicault, survivor and central figure in France’s largest mass rape trial. After waiving her right to anonymity, Giselle became a symbol for change, inspiring national conversations and demonstrations around consent laws and the failures in the treatment of victims. In a frank conversation based on her memoir, "A Hymn to Shame: Shame Has to Change Sides," Giselle recounts her life, the unfathomable abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband Dominique Pelicault, the impact on her family, the intention behind her public testimony, and her path toward restoration.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Giselle’s Early Life and Marriage (03:39–06:41)

• Idyllic Beginnings: Giselle describes her retirement with Dominique as entering a “house of happiness” surrounded by family, friends, and Provençal countryside. Life initially seemed full, loving, and stable.
• Love and Trust: Met Dominique at age 19, both escaping unhappy family situations. “We were in love and that’s what was important.” (05:09)
• Dominique’s Trauma: Giselle explains Dominique’s troubled past: abused himself as a child, never received therapy—framing her later bewilderment at his actions.

The Onset of Abuse and Grooming (06:41–12:29)

• First Blackouts (07:08–09:38): Giselle only recovered memories of her first drugging and rape under hypnosis during the investigation. Small early warning signs—like unexplainable stains or blank periods—were rationalized away, her trust weaponized against her.

  "[My] subconscious asked a question, but as if I were joking. ... But in fact, I was right..." (08:56 – G.P.)

• Medical Gaslighting: Dominique controlled all her medical care, coming to neurology appointments to ensure diagnoses stayed misleading. She was misled to believe she had Alzheimer’s.

  “He always said I was the love of his life. How can you treat the love of your life this way?” (12:24 – G.P.)

The Shattering Revelation (12:36–21:26)

• Initial Arrest: Dominique is caught filming upskirt videos at a supermarket. Giselle forgives him, unaware of deeper depravity.
• Police Station Shock (15:13–19:47): The police reveal the extent of her abuse through photographs and the disclosure of hundreds of rapes by dozens of men invited by her husband.

  “He starts to show me a photo. … I didn’t recognize myself because I was with a man I didn’t know who was raping me.” (17:04 – G.P.)

• Dissociation and Disbelief: In the moment, Giselle enters a state of dissociation (“It was like a bad joke.”).

The Psychological Toll and the Guilt of Survival (20:32–24:49)

• Giselle describes seeing herself raped on video: “I’m a rag doll. … That woman wasn’t me. That’s probably what saved me…” (20:32)
• She describes the invasive, dehumanizing shame experienced by survivors:

  “You feel dirty, you feel degraded. … there’s nothing human about it.” (21:42 – G.P.)

Effects on Family and Generational Trauma (25:08–28:37)

• Family Ties Fray: The family explodes in grief and confusion, unable to heal together. Giselle’s daughter Caroline suffers a breakdown, not officially recognized as a victim despite strong evidence. The lack of legal acknowledgment is a recurring wound.
• Past happiness feels contaminated, yet erasing good memories would erase her life itself.

  “You grieve for the life you had … So I held on to those good memories. … I set the dirty laundry aside, and I kept everything that was clean.” (28:37–29:18 – G.P.)

Choosing the Public Eye: Waiving Anonymity (29:44–32:48)

• A Historic Decision: Giselle’s daughter persuades her that waiving anonymity would serve a greater good, fighting both personal and collective shame.

  “Fighting that shame on an individual level, rejecting it for myself also meant working for the collective.” (30:18 – G.P.)

• Hostility in Court: The courtroom becomes a crucible: the defense paints her as an accomplice, defendants deny guilt, but Giselle refuses to be broken (“You have to be strong.”).

Confronting the Accused and The Role of Evidence (33:02–41:57)

• Facing the Perpetrators (33:02–36:35): Giselle recognizes none of her attackers—who minimize responsibility, rationalize actions, and are supported by their families.

  “They all tried to break me … That’s when I started to raise my voice to put an end to this masquerade.” (34:17 – G.P.)

• Vital Role of Video Evidence: She is forced to watch videos of her own rapes for the sake of the trial, a harrowing experience, yet recognizes most victims lack such evidence.

  “I had it, and we showed them during the trial. … I looked at pictures of the beach … That was my escape.” (38:54 – G.P.)

Public Response and Support (41:57–45:22)

• Elegance as Defiance: Giselle made self-presentation an act of resilience: “Every element that is shattered by rape, it was about saying, I’m standing up.” (42:20)
• Women’s Solidarity: Grassroots support—letters, rallies—lifted her up and inspired other women to break their silence.

  “They recognized themselves. And my trial was also a way of doing them justice.” (43:43 – G.P.)

Reflections on Justice and Ongoing Threats (45:22–48:51)

• Justice Achieved?: While sentences shock her children, what matters to Giselle is that all men were found guilty.
• Lingering Danger: Some perpetrators were never identified; she fears unknowingly meeting them again.

Societal Implications and Male Violence (47:21–48:51)

• Giselle rejects the notion that all men are rapists but calls for early education and accountability. She highlights that previous abuse does not excuse perpetuating harm.

New Disclosures: Dominique’s Criminal Past (48:51–51:19)

• Subsequent investigations reveal Dominique’s pattern of violence dates back decades, including a rape attempt and possibly a murder. Giselle recounts the secondary trauma of receiving this news.

Family Dynamics and Reconciliation (52:25–55:40)

• Describes her fraught but healing relationship with Caroline, how pain and differing coping mechanisms created distance—but also, eventually, renewed closeness.

Facing Her Abuser Again (55:52–57:35)

• Giselle expresses a need to see Dominique, hoping for answers and perhaps remorse, but remains realistic:

  “I hope I’ll be able to get the answers he was unable to provide … Or maybe he’ll say, I need to free my conscience.” (56:08–56:58)

Restoration, Love, and Moving Forward (57:35–62:08)

• A New Chapter: Despite deep trauma, Giselle finds peace, health, and even love again:

  “I never imagined falling in love again … He changed my life. I trust him fully because I think he's a very beautiful soul.” (58:01)

• Physical and Emotional Healing: Embracing age, her body, and walks on her new island home, she ends on a note of gratitude and vitality: “I’m lucky to be alive.” (61:44)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “I needed to convey that, despite all the trials I’ve been through, I am still a woman who stands tall.” (02:28 – Giselle)
• “It was me, but it wasn’t me. That woman, Monsieur Pelicauld, had disguised me. I had no soul, nothing. That woman wasn’t me. That’s probably what saved me, telling myself that.” (20:32)
• “You have to be strong. … I held on. But they made me pay for it.” (31:40–32:48 on courtroom battle)
• “I set the dirty laundry aside, and I kept everything that was clean.” (29:18 on memory and survival)
• “I hope one day he feels remorse and finds it in himself to talk to his daughter.” (26:46 on her children’s pain)
• “That was the strength I had within me. … Today, just to annoy them … I did take care to remain elegant until the end.” (42:20 on resilience)
• “Entire generations of women have been muzzled, and this trial enabled these women to talk openly.” (44:37)
• “I’m fortunate to have these wrinkles, which my mother never got to have. That’s important. … I’m lucky to be alive.” (61:44)

Suggested Timestamps

• Giselle’s Early Life & Marriage: 03:39–06:41
• First Signs/Medical Gaslighting: 06:41–12:29
• The Discovery of the Abuse: 12:36–21:26
• Shame & Body Image: 21:42–24:49; 60:38–62:08
• Family Devastation: 25:08–28:37; 52:25–55:40
• Decision to Go Public: 29:44–32:48
• Courtroom Scenes & Evidence: 33:02–41:57
• Solidarity & Women’s Reactions: 43:25–45:22
• Sentencing/Judgment: 45:22–46:11
• Living with the Past/Threats: 46:11–48:51
• Dominique’s Criminal Past: 48:51–51:19
• Moving Forward in Life: 57:35–62:08

Tone & Style

The conversation is reflective, at times harrowing, marked by moments of profound pain but also dignity, directness, and even hope. Giselle’s recounting is calm, articulate, and resilient—mirroring her determination to reclaim agency and to stand “tall” in public, not just for herself but as an example for others.

For anyone seeking to understand trauma, survival, and systemic failures around sexual violence, this episode stands as a powerful, essential listen—and Giselle Pelicault’s voice, finally public, will resonate long after The Interview’s closing notes.