AVIGNON (France), Nov 17 — When videos of the abuse she suffered are shown in court, Gisele Pelicot usually looks away, choosing instead to speak to a young woman sitting next to her.

The woman’s presence puts the 71-year-old mass rape survivor at ease, and sometimes even a smile lights up her face.

Anne-Sophie Langlet, a representative of the Association for Mediation and Assistance to Victims (Amav), has been by Gisele’s side since the opening of the harrowing trial in the southern city of Avignon on September 2, becoming her assistant and confidante.

Gisele’s former husband, Dominique Pelicot, is on trial over raping and recruiting dozens of strangers to rape his heavily sedated wife for almost a decade. He is in the dock with 50 other men, many of whom have denied the accusations.

Gisele has become a feminist icon in France and abroad, insisting from the start that the trial be open to the public to draw attention to the use of drugs to commit sexual abuse.

The hearings, which have attracted worldwide attention, have been incredibly difficult for Gisele, who said in September she was a "field of ruins”.

Langlet said her task was not only to help Gisele and her three children to understand the legal proceedings, but also to provide moral support "in what she is going through, in the fight she is waging for all the victims.”

"That’s what she needs most, and I think that’s why it’s important for us to be there,” said Langlet, who described herself as a "socio-legal assistant”.

‘Safety net’

Unlike lawyers, Amav’s employees must adopt a neutral stance.

"There’s no complicity, no friendship,” said Langlet.

"It’s really about always being there for her and letting her know that, if she needs to say anything, we can take on board what she has to say,” said Langlet.

"We’ve put in place a psychological safety net in case she needs it,” added the legal expert who is sometimes replaced by two other colleagues.

Langlet said Gisele sometimes asks "why a defence lawyer is saying what he is saying”.

Amav is one of 130 French associations which provide support to victims of criminal offences including rape and harassment.

"We have victims who have a lawyer but who also want us to help them because they need verbal support, because depending on the nature of the case, the lawyer is focused on the proceedings and doesn’t have the time to look after his client,” said the association’s director, Magali Blasco.

"There’s a relationship of trust that’s been established beforehand, so we’re a bit of a link with the lawyers.”

In late August, the Avignon public prosecutor’s office asked the association to accompany the family at the trial.

Candy at recess

Langlet said she met Gisele 15 minutes before the opening hearing on September 2, and a "relationship of trust” was immediately established.

"It was important to have someone with her, for example, when the videos were being aired. She didn’t want anyone close to her, which is understandable,” said Langlet.

"At the same time, it was hard for her to be on her own, because the lawyers are in front of her.”

Langlet has also taught Gisele and her children breathing exercises and techniques to relieve stress and anxiety during the hearings.

The Amav members were initially asked to accompany Gisele and her children for the first two days of the hearings but, at the request of the family, the support has been extended for the duration of the trial expected to last until December 20.

One of Gisele’s lawyers praised the support provided by Langlet and her colleagues.

"These are people who are really very human, very competent and who are certainly helping our client to get through this ordeal,” Stephane Babonneau told AFP.

"It is a benevolent presence, provided by a team of professionals who really show that assisting victims is a profession,” he added.

In a room adjacent to the courtroom a "decompression chamber” with food and drinks has been set up for the family.

It is where Gisele Pelicot lets off steam.

She has never eaten so many sweets before, said Langlet.

"We provide her with candy and she eats them at every recess,” she said. — AFP