International
Gisèle Pelicot, the victim of hundreds of rapes orchestrated by her husband, testified again at the trial
Gisèle Pelicot, the victim of hundreds of rapes orchestrated by her husband when she was under the influence of drugs, will testify again in the trial opened in early September in Avignon, in the south of France, to try to clarify some of the points that have been addressed in the process.
The victim’s statement has raised media expectations for the process, which had fallen in recent days, and which should last until December 20.
Pelicot’s lawyer, Stéphane Babonneau, assured France Bleu radio that his client “has heard many things, which have sometimes hurt, hurt and scandalized her,” while pointing out that this new testimony in the middle of the trial “will allow the case to be better judged.”
Symbol against male domination
Turned into a symbol against male domination, Gisèle Pelicot has attended almost all of the trial sessions, has listened to the testimonies of the defendants and the projection of the images recorded by her husband of the alleged rapes.
The last time he took the floor was to denounce “a humiliation” in some of the testimonies and in the strategies of some of the defenses: “They came to rape me, it’s so degrading what I hear in this room.”
In the vicinity of the Court of Avignon, several banners could be seen in support of Gisèle Pelicot and the victims of sexual abuse.
“A rape is a rape,” says one of those banners, while another read “Welcome our sisters in support of Gisèle,” a reference to the group of Spanish feminists who attended the demonstration that took place last Saturday in front of the court in support of the victim.
As is tradition, upon arrival in court Gisèle Pelicot was applauded, as a sign of support for a case that has become a cause with which this woman wants “shame to change sides”, that the victims stop being questioned, as she herself denounced that she was, and that the events she suffered for almost 10 years are never repeated.
Giséle Pelicot: “I also had an exceptional man”
Gisèle Pelicot reminded the women who today supported her relatives accused that she also had “an exceptional man.”
“These mothers, sisters, women, have said that their brothers and husbands were exceptional. I also had an exceptional man, but the profile of the rapist can be in the family, in the friends,” he said on Wednesday when he intervened again as a witness in the Court of Avignon (southeast).
This woman, who has become an authentic feminist symbol in France, explained that every day she goes to trial for all the victims of rape and for those women and men who support her day after day, with applause in the courts and with messages through social networks.
“I have realized that I don’t have to be ashamed, I have nothing to reproach myself for, I have suffered 100 violations,” he said.
He also said that his request for an open trial and his consent to have videos of the rapes shown is because he wants “all rape victims to be able to say that, if Mrs. Pelicot did it, we can do it too.”
“I don’t want them to be afraid, we don’t have to be ashamed, it’s them,” he insisted.
However, she acknowledged that she is “destroyed” at the age of 72: “I am a completely destroyed woman and I don’t know how I’m going to get up. I don’t know if my life will give me to understand everything that has happened to me.”
International
Washington declares State of Emergency as atmospheric river brings severe flooding
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency on Wednesday in response to severe flooding affecting several counties, where more than 75,000 people remain under evacuation alerts following heavy rainfall that has caused significant water accumulation.
An atmospheric river has battered the state since Monday, dropping several centimeters of rain and threatening serious flooding in communities near major rivers. More precipitation is expected in the coming days, and the National Weather Service (NWS) has forecast between 15 and 20 centimeters of rain from Wednesday morning through Thursday afternoon in communities along the far western region, worsening the emergency.
Rainfall totals in higher elevations near the Canadian border could exceed 20 centimeters, further increasing the risk.
“Lives will be at stake in the coming days,” Ferguson warned during a press conference.
The governor underscored the severity of the situation and said he will request an expedited federal disaster declaration from President Donald Trump’s administration to access additional resources for the emergency response.
“I want to urge all Washington residents to pay close attention to alerts from their counties and emergency management departments. If you receive an evacuation order, please follow it,” he added.
Most rivers from the Canadian border down to southwestern Washington are in flood stage. Several are expected to reach record levels, including the Skagit River, which could exceed its 1990 flood peak when water levels rose 1.2 meters.
Around 75,000 people are at risk of flooding in Skagit County, where authorities continue to maintain an evacuation watch.
The Washington National Guard and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have been activated to assist with evacuations and response efforts in rural areas affected by flooding.
International
U.S. to require five-year social media history from tourists under Visa Waiver Program
Tourists from 42 countries covered by the U.S. Visa Waiver Program would be required to provide their social media history from the past five years in order to enter the United States, according to a new proposal released Wednesday by the administration of President Donald Trump.
The initiative, led by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), aims to more thoroughly review the activity of travelers entering the country through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). When asked about the plan’s potential impact on tourism, Trump insisted that the United States is “doing very well.”
“We just want people to come here and be safe… We want to make sure we’re not letting the wrong people into our country,” the president said during a press conference at the White House.
The proposal, published in the Federal Register, seeks to expand the information collected from visitors entering the U.S. for up to three months under the visa waiver program.
ESTA applies to travelers from 42 countries, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, France, Japan, Israel and Qatar.
In addition to requiring a five-year social media history, the plan would increase the amount of personal data requested, such as phone numbers and email addresses used over the past ten years. It also calls for family details, including names, dates of birth and places of birth of the traveler’s relatives.
The proposal further includes a new mobile tool that would allow any foreign visitor to record their departure from the United States.
International
Six ecuadorian soldiers jailed pending trial for alleged extrajudicial execution
Six Ecuadorian soldiers were placed in pre-trial detention on Wednesday by a civilian court over an alleged extrajudicial execution, the Attorney General’s Office reported.
As part of his war on drug trafficking, President Daniel Noboa declared an internal armed conflict in 2024 and deployed the Armed Forces to the streets. Human rights organizations have since denounced military abuses and a rise in disappearances attributed to state agents.
A judge in the coastal province of Santa Elena ordered pre-trial detention for six soldiers for alleged extrajudicial execution, the prosecution stated on X. It added that the troops, now under investigation for the suspected crime, were in charge of an operation in the resort town of Salinas, during which one of the detainees died.
In a separate case involving alleged abuse of authority, a group of 17 soldiers is currently on trial for the forced disappearance of four minors whose bodies were found burned near an Ecuadorian Air Force (FAE) base.
In December 2024, Saúl Arboleda, Steven Medina, and brothers Josué and Ismael Arroyo — aged 11 to 15 — were detained by a military patrol in southern Guayaquil.
According to Amnesty International, Ecuador’s Prosecutor’s Office has received reports of at least 43 possible cases of forced disappearance since 2023, the year Noboa took office pledging a tough stance against organized crime.
Washington declares State of Emergency as atmospheric river brings severe flooding
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