Politicians hail courage of Gisèle Pelicot after historic ‘turning point’

Leaders from France and around the world welcome guilty verdicts as feminists urge changes to laws

Politicians from France and beyond have hailed Gisèle Pelicot’s courage and called the trial of the men who abused her historic, while feminist groups have stressed there is still a long way to go and demanded fundamental changes to France’s sexual abuse laws.

“Thank you for your courage, Gisèle Pelicot,” the president of France’s national assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet, posted after the announcement that all 51 accused, including Pelicot’s former husband Dominique, had been found guilty.