“After all, no one died”: Mazan mayor gives unnoticed interview on Gisèle Pelicot's rapes

On September 10, 2024, the mayor of the town of Mazan, Louis Bonnet, gave an interview to the BCC. His remarks sparked controversy.

“After all, no one died.” These are the remarks of the mayor of the town of Mazan, Louis Bonnet, where the vast trial involving rape and chemical submission is taking place.

In the Mazan case, a man, Dominique Pelicot, is accused of having organized dozens of rapes on his wife, by drugging her. The main accused in the case is said to have had men come to his home for 10 years so that they could abuse his wife. Fifty have been identified, with photos and videos to support their claims, and are appearing at this trial.

Find here the daily reports from Midi Libre on the Mazan rape case.

Interview with the mayor

The town has seen dozens of journalists pass through since the opening of this sensational trial. Foreign media have been accredited to follow the epilogue of this sordid affair. Among them, the BBC, which interviewed the mayor of the town to get his opinion on the affair.

In a video published on its social networks, the English channel reveals comments that shocked many Internet users.

On the impact on the victims, Louis Bonnet believes that: “It could have been more serious. No children were involved. No women were killed. It will be difficult for them, but the family can rebuild. After all, no one died.” Or on the repercussions of the affair: “What happened is very serious. But I'm not going to say that the village should bear the memory of a crime that goes beyond the limits of what is acceptable."

He compares the case to another in the region, in Carpentras, whose victim – unlike Gisèle Pelicot – “was conscious when she was raped… and will suffer the physical and mental after-effects for a long time, which is even more serious.” The mayor of the town has not yet retracted these statements.

“This debate deeply annoyed me"

Many Internet users denounced “rape culture” after watching the video. In other words: anything that encourages sexual assault by diverting the attention of the aggressors by focusing more on the behavior, situation and feelings of the victims.

Called to the bar this Wednesday, September 18, Gisèle Pelicot expressed her anger and indignation at the insinuations suggesting that she could have been an accomplice to her husband's actions.

Again this afternoon, the victim of this sordid affair declared: “If these people saw their daughter, their mother, their sister in the same situation, they would have the same debate ? They came to rape me. Today I feel like I'm the culprit and the 50 victims are behind me. All because I walked naked through my bathroom to my room, I'm an exhibitionist. ? I'm the culprit and they're the victims. ? They should sit in my place. ?”