Our bodies judged

1978

At a party, 17-year-old Myriam meets Franck, a medical student. They date for a while before Franck invites Myriam to his house and forces her to have sex. Worried about a late period, the young woman decides to talk to her mother. Her mother is more concerned about her daughter possibly being pregnant than about the rape she has suffered, and when Myriam decides to file a complaint, her mother prevents her from going through with it for fear of what people will say.
The trial in Aix, described as a “rape trial” by defense attorney Gisèle Halimi, made headlines on television. Encouraged by her friend Jo, an activist with the newly formed Women’s Liberation Movement, and supported by her older sister against her family, Myriam contacted the association Choisir, which would assist her in her complaint. The trial was held the following spring and, after heated debates, Franck was sentenced to four years in prison for rape. Myriam left the courtroom, accompanied by her friends and sister, and was able to start her life again.