Eleanor Beardsley
Appearances
NPR News Now
NPR News: 12-18-2024 8PM EST
France's highest appeals court confirmed a lower court's verdict against former President Nicolas Sarkozy for corruption and influence peddling. He and his lawyer were convicted of forming a corruption pact with a judge... to share confidential information with them regarding another case involving Sarkozy.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 12-18-2024 8PM EST
That case was about using false billing to go over the legal spending limits for his 2012 re-election bid. The conviction is a first for a former French president. Sarkozy says he will respect the French court's decision, but plans to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News, Avignon, France.
Up First from NPR
Supreme Court Hears TikTok Case, Syrians Return Home, French Rape Trial Verdicts
Yeah, well, these are sort of the working class everyman in France, a baker, a firefighter. of all ages and races. And Giselle Pellico, she's a victim. Her husband was accused. He drugged her and recruited all of these men on an Internet site over a period of 10 years and filmed everything they did.
Up First from NPR
Supreme Court Hears TikTok Case, Syrians Return Home, French Rape Trial Verdicts
He got the maximum sentence, 20 years, and all of the other 50 men were found guilty of raping Giselle Pellico. Even though many of these men claim they did not rape her because her husband, you know, said they had permission, that she was in agreement. But there are aggravating circumstances to these rapes, and the sentences are all different.
Up First from NPR
Supreme Court Hears TikTok Case, Syrians Return Home, French Rape Trial Verdicts
So they seem to be tailored to each defendant, and it's still being read out. It's very technical. So some of the other men are getting lesser sentences than what the prosecution asked for. I'm hearing eight and ten years. And a couple people have just come out of the courtroom shouting and angry, and I'm not sure who that is and what that means, but this could be very conflictual today.
Up First from NPR
Supreme Court Hears TikTok Case, Syrians Return Home, French Rape Trial Verdicts
Well, first of all, huge security. There's never been a trial like this in France before. I was out since 7 in the morning in front of the courthouse, and there was just hundreds of people from the media all over the world. And also, you know, supporters of Giselle Pellico, who was the victim, who had banners and placards saying, We watched her family come in.
Up First from NPR
Supreme Court Hears TikTok Case, Syrians Return Home, French Rape Trial Verdicts
She has three grown children, and they've all testified that this has destroyed their lives. They've all disowned their father. And also the men who, you know, who have now been convicted because nobody was acquitted. They came in, you know, wearing hoodies and COVID masks and usually accompanied by a family member, a wife, because these guys are inserted into society.
Up First from NPR
Supreme Court Hears TikTok Case, Syrians Return Home, French Rape Trial Verdicts
They have family, some of them. And they were all carrying duffel bags because they are expecting to go straight to prison now from here.
Up First from NPR
Supreme Court Hears TikTok Case, Syrians Return Home, French Rape Trial Verdicts
Absolutely. You know, it has everywhere. It started a huge conversation about this patriarchal society and the violence against women. Many people talk about there's a rape culture here, meaning that You know, serious crimes and also street harassment is not taken seriously enough. And the fact that these men said, well, they didn't rape her, but that's where there was video evidence.
Up First from NPR
Supreme Court Hears TikTok Case, Syrians Return Home, French Rape Trial Verdicts
And so as painful and sordid as this trial was, and to hear it and they've seen these videos, it's having a positive impact to activists because it's a wake-up moment. People are taking it seriously. You know, there might be more... Better education now, law enforcement, and French men have been tuned in.
Up First from NPR
Supreme Court Hears TikTok Case, Syrians Return Home, French Rape Trial Verdicts
Many prominent men have spoken out and said they were ashamed because these guys are not psychotic criminals. They're average men, and they're questioning the macho society.
Up First from NPR
Supreme Court Hears TikTok Case, Syrians Return Home, French Rape Trial Verdicts
Well, we can call her a hero, too, because she's a petite septuagenarian, and her face is known everywhere in France. She waived her right to anonymity, insisted this trial be open to the public and the media, and she's changed everything people said. She has made shame swap sides from the victims to the rapists. They say she's succeeded in doing that.
Up First from NPR
Supreme Court Hears TikTok Case, Syrians Return Home, French Rape Trial Verdicts
That is Eleanor Beardsley and Pierre's Eleanor Beardsley in Avignon.