September 21st 2024.
Nadia El Bouroumi has recently come under fire for her actions in the ongoing mass rape trial in France. She is one of the defense lawyers representing two of the accused men, Omar Douiri and Jean Marc Leloup, in the trial of Dominique Pelicot and 50 others. The men are accused of raping Pelicot's wife, Gisele, over the course of a decade.
El Bouroumi's conduct has been met with criticism from other lawyers. This is partly due to her behavior in court, where she has been heard raising her voice and questioning Gisele's sexual behavior, and also because of a video she posted on social media. In the video, El Bouroumi can be seen singing and dancing along to the 80s hit "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" by Wham. The lyrics of the song, particularly the chorus, have been linked to Pelicot's actions of drugging and allowing other men to rape his wife without her knowledge. This has caused some controversy, with local paper La Provence noting that it is "hard not to see" the connection.
The video was posted in response to criticism of El Bouroumi's techniques in court, as she had been accused of being too aggressive and critical towards Gisele. In the caption of the video, El Bouroumi addresses her critics and asserts her right to express her opinions and defend her clients. She also shares her own personal experience of being a victim of abuse and emphasizes that she is not trying to diminish Gisele's status as a victim in any way.
Last week, the court was shown graphic images and videos of Gisele in various states of undress with her ex-husband and other men. El Bouroumi responded to these by pointing out inconsistencies in Gisele's testimony and questioning her sexual behavior. However, her actions in court and on social media have been condemned by some. Legal experts have stated that while lawyers have the right to freedom of expression, they should not use it to portray a negative image of their profession.
In the midst of all the controversy, it's important to remember who El Bouroumi is defending in court. She is representing Jean-Marc Leloup, a 74-year-old retired truck driver, and Omar Douiri, a 36-year-old recruitment consultant. Leloup is accused of raping Gisele multiple times between 2011 and 2020, while Douiri is said to have contacted Pelicot through a now closed chat room and was invited to have sex with Gisele in 2017.
Both men deny any wrongdoing, with Leloup claiming that he was told by Pelicot that it was all a game and Gisele was taking sleeping pills. Douiri asserts that he was invited by Pelicot and did not know that Gisele was not fully conscious during the encounter. However, Pelicot has admitted to drugging and raping his wife, and 14 other men have also admitted to raping her. The trial is expected to last until December and has also brought to light Pelicot's involvement in the rape and murder of a 23-year-old estate agent in 1991, for which he has been charged separately.
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