Gisèle Pelicot reveals brave reason she waived anonymity in mass rape trial

Gisèle Pelicot speaks for first time after historic mass rape trial verdictSource: Sky News

Transcript

00:00I hope you can hear me. Please just move back slightly. I'm here to say I'm very emotional.

00:15Please, if you could respect my emotional state as much as possible. Thank you. It's

00:22with a lot of emotion that I'm here to make a statement. This case was a very difficult

00:31test for me, and I'm thinking first and foremost of my three children, David, Caroline and

00:37Florian. I'm also thinking about my grandchildren, because they are the future, and for them

00:45I wanted to really put this struggle forward, Aurore and Céline as well. I'm thinking

00:55about all the other families affected by this case, and the non-recognised victims. In these

01:03stories that are often in the shadows, you must know you share my struggle. I'd like

01:10to express my gratitude, my deepest gratitude, to all the individuals who have supported

01:16me throughout this. With the witness statements and the testimonials, this really gave me

01:26strength to come back day after day for this long trial. I'd like to thank the Association

01:32for Support of Victims, who have supported me throughout, and all the journalists who

01:38have followed my case since its beginnings. I'd like to thank you and recognise the faithful

01:47and respectful treatment of the case that you have daily given my lawyers. I thank you.

02:01for supporting me throughout this long journey. I wanted, when I started on the 2nd of September,

02:12to ensure that society could actually see what was happening, and I never have regretted

02:19this decision. I have now faith in our capacity to collectively take hold of a future in which

02:28everybody, women and men, can live together in harmony, in respect and mutual understanding.