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The case of Gisèle Pelicot, who courageously allowed graphic footage of her abuse to be broadcast in court, underscores the visceral power of images in revealing uncomfortable truths. Pelicot’s ex-husband Dominique filmed her repeatedly, drugging her and facilitating her rape by numerous men, all while she was unconscious. This turned Pelicot into an unwilling subject of a perverse form of visual consumption, mirroring a culture that often prioritizes the spectacle over the individual.

In the French Academic painter Jean-Léon Gérôme’s work Truth Coming Out of Her Well from 1897, Truth is depicted as a woman emerging from a well, naked and exposed, whip in hand and in open-mouthed outrage. This image represents the inevitable revelation of hidden realities—no matter how much society may want to avoid seeing them. The graphic pictures of Pelicot’s abuse compel a reckoning with the systemic silencing of women’s trauma, particularly within French society, which has long celebrated ideals of romance, seduction, and allure, often masking deeper issues of power and exploitation.

The objectification in Pelicot’s case also aligns with the larger discourse in France around seduction and desire, as in the #MeToo backlash in 2018 led by cultural icons like Brigitte Bardot and Catherine Deneuve. A hundred French actresses criticized the movement at the time, calling it “puritanical” and dismissing it as a spectacle in an open letter in Le Monde. The women later clarified that although they supported a man’s right to “bother a woman” in the name of seduction, they were not defending blatant abuse.

Pelicot was silenced for years, her abuse hidden even from herself due to the drugs her husband at the time, administered. The use of the camera here is both a tool of oppression and, paradoxically, a means of exposure. This shift from secret oppression to public revelation turns the exploitative gaze into an instrument of justice, though it comes at great personal cost to Pelicot, who has chosen to make her trauma visible to the world.

France has long idolized figures like the femme fatale, a seductive woman wielding power through her allure. The romanticized idea of French flirtation, defended by Bardot and others, contrasts sharply with the raw, undeniable footage of abuse. The filmic eye becomes the very mechanism by which truth emerges from the well of collective denial in full voice. Pelicot’s abuse and speaking out have brought to light a widespread network of sexual violence, defying the Cassandra myth where a woman that speaks the truth is disbelieved.

Last month, thousands of people took to the streets in 30 French and other European cities to protest against rape and sexist violence and to support Gisèle Pélicot. She has now become a symbol of the fight against sexual violence in France when she decided to speak out and make the trial of her ex-husband and 50 other men public to ensure that “no woman suffers this.”

“We are all Gisèle,” protesters chanted in Paris, according to LeMonde,” Rapist we see you, victim we believe you.” A banner unfurled from the Marseilles court building said: “Shame must change sides.”

– Mandakini Pachauri, October 2024, Vienna

Cassandra is a series of reflections on international women writers whose works have proven prophetic, insightful, and courageous enough to transcend borders and remain relevant across time and cultures.

What would history and the world look like if these voices had been heard?

Through this monthly series, I aim to amplify voices too often silenced, inspiring women to speak their truth. My goal is to craft a personal global genealogy of women’s thought—through reading, reflecting, and sharing their stories.