Gisèle Pelicot, a global figure in the fight against sexual violence, said Tuesday she was “deeply shocked” by the recent decision of a British judge to spare prison time for two teenagers convicted of the rape of two minors, a judgment which aroused strong emotion in the country.
• Also read: France: a man sentenced to 25 years in prison for rape and torture of his ex-partner
• Also read: Video site of rapes of unconscious women: French justice mobilized
• Also read: Women drugged and raped by their partners: a desire on the part of men to “take back control” behind this growing phenomenon?
The judgment, which dates from May 21, caused such a stir that the British Attorney General decided on Tuesday to refer it to the Court of Appeal.
The latter will have to “determine whether the sentence handed down was too lenient and whether it should be increased”, indicated the prosecutor in a press release, underlining the “very great public interest and the deep concern in the face of this horrible case”.
Interviewed on the BBC on Tuesday, Gisèle Pelicot said she was “deeply shocked that these individuals were actually able to regain their freedom, while the victims suffer so much that they will never be able to heal.”
“Rape is a crime and justice has an essential role. She must name the crimes, recognize the suffering of the victims and remind us that they must under no circumstances go unpunished,” insisted the Frenchwoman, who became world famous after publicly testifying about the rapes she suffered, committed by dozens of men recruited by her ex-husband.
“Punch”
In his judgment last Thursday, a judge at a court in Southampton (southern England) sentenced two 15-year-old teenagers to juvenile rehabilitation measures, accompanied by intensive supervision and monitoring, for the rape of two minor girls, during two separate attacks.
The rapes took place on November 26, 2024 and January 17, 2025, the latter at knifepoint. The victims were aged 15 and 14 respectively.
A third boy, now 14, was also convicted in the January 2025 attack, for encouraging the two boys to rape the girl.
The attackers filmed the rapes and broadcast the images on social networks.
In passing sentence, Judge Nicholas Rowland emphasized the “seriousness” of the facts but said he wanted to avoid “criminalizing” these “very young” boys.
“These words hit me hard, like a punch in the face,” testified one of the victims, who remained anonymous, in a prime time program broadcast on the BBC on Sunday.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Tuesday welcomed the decision to refer the judgment to the Court of Appeal, a “good thing”, according to him.
“I find this upsetting as a politician. I find it upsetting as a father,” he said, adding that the “courage shown” by the two victims in speaking out “humbles us.”
