You think you know people. You think you know the guy living next door. You think you know the person sleeping in the bed right next to you. You are wrong. That is the harrowing lesson from the **Gisèle Pelicot** story, a case of **chemical submission** and betrayal that makes me want to drink until I can’t remember my own name.

Here is the truth, optimized for your grim reality. It is happening in France, but it could be happening in Ohio or London. **Gisèle Pelicot** spent fifty years with **Dominique Pelicot**. They looked like the perfect, boring couple you see at the grocery store. But for the last ten years of that marriage, her husband was crushing sleeping pills into her dinner—a systematic act of spousal abuse. He would knock her out cold, then invite strangers from the internet to come into their home and rape her. He filmed it. He organized it like a logistics manager running a small business.

Now she is talking about it. In a recent interview, she stated she wants the shame to change sides. But let’s look at what the **Mazan rape trial** really means for the rest of us. The scariest part isn’t the husband—though Dominique is a demon in a sweater vest. What keeps me up at night are the other guys. The dozens of men accused in this **French rape case**. They were truck drivers, firefighters, IT guys, journalists, and prison guards.

These men walked among us. It proves what I have been saying forever: civilization is a thin coat of paint over a rotten piece of wood. These men didn’t need to be tricked. They just needed an open door. Once you take away the fear of getting caught, the 'nice guy' who fixes your sink turns into a nightmare.

Now, the world is watching the **public trial**. Everyone is 'shocked,' but really, you are entertained. We consume tragedy like it is popcorn. **Gisèle Pelicot** refused to have the trial behind closed doors. She wanted the world to see the faces of these men. It is a power move, but we are too stupid to learn. We will tweet, politicians will speechify, and then we will forget.

### References & Fact-Check * **Primary Source**: [’The Interview’: Gisèle Pelicot Shares Her Story](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/magazine/gisele-pelicot-france-rape-case-story.html) - *The New York Times* * **Key Topics**: Gisèle Pelicot, Dominique Pelicot, Mazan Rape Trial, Chemical Submission, French Legal System.