There is no cause and effect relationship
Pelicot assured before the Avignon court that He is being tried for raping his wife along with 50 other defendantsthat The sexual assault he allegedly suffered at the age of 9 and his forced participation in a rape at the age of 14 influenced his “perversion”Days later, another of the accused, Jean-Pierre M., ended up recounting, with difficulty, the rapes and abuses he suffered as a child. At least a dozen defendants said during the investigation that they suffered sexual assault in their youth.
“There is no cause and effect relationship. All children [víctimas] “They do not end up being victims or aggressors, but this increases the possibility of becoming one,” psychiatrist Laurent Layet told the court.
From a sociological point of view, the thesis of the reproduction of violence – when the victim becomes an aggressor – is not proven and generates “debate”sexual assault expert Véronique Le Goaziou told AFP. “Some studies, most often on small cohorts, show a higher prevalence,” but when the samples are larger, “these results are not obtained,” adds the researcher from the Mediterranean Laboratory of Sociology.
Argument as a means of defense
“In the context of a criminal process,” “The difficulty” lies in proving “the existence of this violence” during childhoodadds Le Goaziou, stressing that “attackers can use this argument as a means of defense“.
For psychologist Joanna Smith, “sexual offenders have more history of abuse in their childhood: sexual abuse –three times more than in the general population–, but also psychological abuse –twice as much– or verbal abuse –13 times more–,” among others. “Often, these antecedents accumulate or are even associated with difficult circumstances in development: violence between parents, psychiatric disorders of parents, etc..”, this expert adds.
“The number of different backgrounds increases the risk factor for committing sexual violence“, he explains to AFP.
For psychiatrist Guillaume de La Chapelle, who treats victims of sexual assault in childhood, The “main risk” is to suffer others, even in adulthood, and “not to become aggressors.” “A victim of sexual assault may develop many psychological problemsSome, especially among boys, become sexual offenders, but this remains a rare trajectory, It depends above all on the construction of the personality“, he adds.
On the other hand, “among the major sexual offenders,” It is “frequently” detected that they suffered sexual assaultthe psychiatrist points out. “Becoming perverse is a psychological construction. If the victim is not detected, is not treated, his experience remains in a corner of his brain and evolves independently. Since he has not spoken, he has not been treated or supported,” he adds.
“This is not an extenuating circumstance and does not excuse the acts committed.. However, it can be a Defense strategy: the lawyer seeks arguments to mitigate responsibility“says family law expert Danielle Gobert.
For experts, an important aspect of preventing sexual violence is preventing child abuse and helping parents in difficulty.
Beginning of the cause
This case, which has horrified France, came to light by chance when her husband, Dominique Pelicot71 years old, was caught in 2020 in a shopping center Filming under the skirts of clients.
The researchers They then found on their computers, hard drives and USB keys, almost 4,000 photos and videos of the victim, visibly unconscious, while dozens of strangers They raped“My world is collapsing, everything is collapsing, everything I built 50 years ago,” he said. Gisele remembering moments through photographs.
Gisele Pelicot.jpg
In the image, “I am inert, in my bed and they are raping me. These are barbaric scenes.“She told the five judges about the rapes organized by the father of her three children. That same day, the victim refused to watch the videos found by investigators about the surroundings 200 rapes which he suffered, first in the Paris region and then in the south of France, until 2020.
“They treat me like a rag doll“I wonder how I held out,” she said, estimating that she was “sacrificed on the altar of vice.” With anguish and sadness she added that “the body is warm, not cold, but I am dead in my bed“.
First statement of the accused
On Tuesday the 17th was the first statement before the court Pelicot since the start of the trial on September 2 and his testimony is crucial for the other 50 defendants, among 26 and 74 years oldface sentences of up to 20 years in prison. Some defendants argue that They did not know that Pelicot was giving him medication to put his wife to sleep and they claim that they thought it was a libertine couplesomething that The victim denied in his first statement before the court.
Gisèle Pelicot “didn’t deserve that”said the main defendant in the trial. “I ask for forgiveness even though this is not acceptable,” he added. Pelicot’s presence in court on Tuesday generated expectation, after the court was will be absent from the process for more than a week due to health problems. His first hearing was scheduled for Tuesday, but he was absent from the trial the day before due to illness, forcing the presiding judge to modify the programme and order several suspensions.
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
