Gisèle Pelicot, the woman at the centre of France's largest rape trial, has told BBC Newsnight she was crushed by horror on discovering that, for years, her husband had repeatedly drugged her unconscious and invited dozens of men to rape her.
Something exploded inside me, says Ms Pelicot, 73, of the moment she realised the scale of her husband's crimes. It was like a tsunami.
In an extensive interview ahead of the publication of her memoir, A Hymn To Life, she describes how phoning her three children with the news of what she had discovered about their father was possibly the toughest experience of her life.
'Descent into hell'
She recalls the moment she decided to waive her legal right to anonymity, and how she has never regretted that decision. She also reveals she still has unanswered questions she wants to ask her now ex-husband - the man she refers to as Mr Pelicot - in jail, where he is serving a 20-year term.
Ms Pelicot was taken aside by a policeman, who started asking her a series of increasingly probing questions regarding her husband, leading her to a shocking truth.
Unimaginable Betrayal
In a series of painful revelations, Gisèle Pelicot describes how she dealt with the unfathomable betrayal and the impact it had on her family. Despite the trauma, she holds a commendable stance of not harboring anger, and instead finds strength in her ability to share her story and help others.
Ms Pelicot's journey of facing traumatic truths and becoming an advocate for other victims has transformed her pain into a powerful message of resilience and hope. I have always chosen to walk toward the good, she states with conviction, embodying a survivor's spirit that inspires many.
