French Woman Who Was Raped by Fifty Men: 'My Body is Warm but I Am Dead'

Ghislaine Poliquin, a 71-year-old woman who was a victim of her husband's orchestrated sexual assaults for ten years, spoke out for the first time during a trial taking place in southern France. In court, she explained how her world has completely collapsed. All attention during the session on Thursday, September 15, at the criminal court in Vaucluse, southern France, was drawn to Ghislaine Poliquin's first testimony. Just days after the trial began, which has 51 defendants, she told the presiding judge how she realized on November 2, 2020, what her husband had been doing to her for ten years. Ms. Poliquin stated in court, 'My world is collapsing; everything is falling apart for me.' She said, 'I have been sacrificed on the altar of vice. My body is warm, not cold, but I died on my bed.' Ghislaine Poliquin, who has been in the process of divorce since the facts were revealed in the fall of 2020, no longer uses her husband's surname. After the court session, she told reporters, 'I think I have said everything I can. It is certainly not easy, but it is a kind of practice that is not easy. There is also pressure from all the people behind me. I feel that in terms of questions, they want to trap me, so I try to answer as best as I can. I must fight until the end because this trial will last four months.' What has been praised by family members and lawyers present in court is the way this woman has handled the case. Ghislaine Poliquin's daughter, who was present at the session, described her mother as showing dignity and courage that commands respect. 'I am proud of her, and that is the only thing I can tell you today.' The details revealed during this trial are very shocking and painful. Many attendees, especially the victim's family, cannot bear to hear many of the issues raised and occasionally have to leave the courtroom. According to evidence, most of the men who raped this woman did not use condoms. Ghislaine Poliquin herself stated, 'Each of these scenes is more brutal than the other.' The 'horrific' case of the French man who drugged his wife so that men could rape her has become a global case. After the session on Thursday, one of her lawyers emphasized that this case has become a global issue. 'In this tragedy, she is accompanied; she is supported by her family. She receives many signs of support. This issue now goes far beyond our borders. We receive messages from Australia, Asia, and across Europe showing how important this case is to everyone.' However, the lawyer of the main defendant, Ghislaine Poliquin's husband, stated after the court session that his client would speak in court soon. 'My client will once again explain why he did this. He will justify himself; there must be a justification for this act because it is unforgivable. Let me be clear: we are not here to minimize the importance of events. But he must speak when the presiding judge wants him to.' This lawyer added, 'It does not matter how much they tell me we do not accept these events as rape. It does not matter how much they tell me we call these scenes sexual scenes, not rape scenes. According to the presumption of innocence that applies to everyone, we completely agree, but when the videos are to be played, they will tell the truth. That is, we cannot accept that these are not scenes of sexual assault.' In total, there are nearly four thousand photos and videos on various computers and storage devices regarding the rapes of Ghislaine Poliquin. These images indicate at least two hundred sexual assaults that she endured over ten years while being drugged by her husband. The judicial process for this controversial case has become a symbol of the issue of 'submission due to consuming a chemical or drug.' These chemicals, colloquially referred to as 'date rape drugs,' make a person passive and susceptible to becoming a victim of sexual assault and abuse. The children of the victim informed the French news agency on Thursday that they now want their surname to be published by the press because 'now they are prouder of their mother than ever.' Ghislaine Poliquin, who has been in the process of divorce since the facts were revealed in the fall of 2020, no longer uses her husband's surname.