As the survivor confronts one of her rapists in court, what transformations have occurred across the nation?
The nation's mass rape victim, the woman at the center of the case, is reappearing before the judiciary this week to face a perpetrator found guilty, the lone defendant who is contesting the judicial outcome from the previous year in which a collective of 51 defendants were found guilty of attacking her as she was, under the influence, administered by her partner in their domicile.
During that period, the survivor's outspoken position was regarded as a potential trigger in the battle against sexual violence. But in France, that hope looks to be diminishing.
"I will attack you if you don't leave now," threatened a individual positioned near a historic church in Mazan, the charming locale where the individuals once lived.
He'd just overheard me questioning an older lady about the effect of the court trial on the country and, while promising to break our equipment too, was now clarifying that the community was fed up with being associated with one of the world's most notorious sexual assault cases.
A few days earlier, the town's leader had released a more diplomatic statement of the same argument, in a public statement that portrayed the survivor's years-long ordeal as "a personal situation… that has nothing to do with us."
It is easy to comprehend the official's intention to defend the locality's standing and its tourism industry. But it seems worth noting that a prior year, he'd made headlines across France after he'd told me, twice, in an discussion, that he sought to "minimize" the gravity of Gisèle Pelicot's ordeals because "no-one was killed", and no children were involved.
Furthermore it is important to observe that nearly every one of the female residents we were able to interview in the community last week disagreed with the official's wish to view the legal matter as, mostly, something to "leave behind."
Lighting up in a shaded doorway close to the place of worship, a public employee in her thirties, who provided the name the individual, communicated with undisguised bitterness.
"People no longer discuss it, within this community. It appears to be forgotten. I am aware of an individual suffering from family abuse at this moment. But women hide it. They're afraid of the persons who engage in such behavior," she stated, noting that she was "convinced" that further the attackers were still at large, and unapprehended, in the neighbourhood.
Strolling in the vicinity by some sunbathing cats, another resident, in her late sixties, was similarly willing to discuss, but had a contrasting opinion of the proceedings.
"Society is progressing. The country is advancing." With Madame Pelicot's help? "Certainly. It has provided encouragement, for women to express themselves openly," she informed me, assertively.
Throughout the nation, there is certainty that the attention generated by Gisèle Pelicot's internationally transmitted determination that "the stigma ought to shift" - from survivor to perpetrator – has given extra impetus to a movement opposing assault earlier activated by the MeToo movement.
"In my opinion changing behavior is something that needs a long time. [But] the legal matter ignited a massive, unprecedented movement… opposing assault, and combating lack of accountability," stated an activist, who oversees a alliance of 50 feminist organisations in the country. "We're focused on educating specialists, aiding those affected, on investigations."
"Absolutely, the country has evolved. The reports of assaults has tripled, demonstrating that survivors – females of all ages – they come forward and they seek legal recourse," concurred an advocate, representative of the organization "Osez le féminisme".
And yet, the drive and positivity that surrounded the survivor the previous winter, as she emerged from the Avignon courthouse and into a scrum of supporters, have not led to many meaningful reforms to the manner the authorities addresses the issue of abuse.
Indeed, there is a general agreement among campaigners and experts that conditions are, rather, declining.
"Unfortunately, the government does not react," said the spokesperson, highlighting statistics indicating that conviction rates are flat-lining despite a notable surge in cases of assault.
"The outlook is grim. There is opposition. Beliefs enabling abuse are coming back very strongly. This is apparent through the male-centric groups gaining traction, particularly among adolescent males," continued the activist,
