Gisèle Pelicot given France’s highest civilian honour

She was named knight of the Legion of Honour on a list announced ahead of Bastille Day.

Pelicot chose to waiver her anonymity in order to publicly testify against her husband and 50 other men in a mass-rape trial that shocked the world.

The 72-year-old testified against her husband Dominique Pelicot, 72, who had drugged and raped her, in addition to inviting dozens of strangers to also abuse her over nearly a decade in the Avignon region of France.

Gisèle attended almost every day of the trial which ended last December, seeing Dominique being given a maximum 20 year prison sentence.

Gisèle previously told reporters: "I want all women who have been raped to say: Madame Pelicot did it, I can too,"

She adding that she wanted to make "shame swap sides" from the victim to the rapist.

Her influence has been far-reaching, being named as the Most Influential Woman of 2025 by The Independent, topping a list of 50 women from across the world who "push boundaries and break down barriers to shape the world around them".

Meanwhile French president Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to Gisèle, saying that her "dignity and courage moved and inspired France and the world".