Shiori, Gisèle, Amélie. The women turning a nightmare into a movement.

Shiori Ito. Gisèle Pelicot. Amélie Lévêque.

You may know their names. You may not.

But, you should. The entire world should know these women's names. 

Because these women are changing the world. They're changing lives. 

Saving lives. 

They're refusing to remain silent, despite being subjected to horrific sexual crimes; crimes seeped in a stigma so strong that, for centuries, women have been shamed into keeping quiet.

All three women, Shiori, Gisèle and Amélie, were raped by men they trusted. They chose to speak out, to unveil their faces, to put a human name to the true cost of rape and sexual assault.

They are not Jane Does. They are Shiori, Gisèle and Amélie.

Watch: Black Box Diaries trailer. Article continues after the video.

In 2015, Japanese journalist, Shiori Ito, was drugged and raped by a senior television executive after a job interview. She reported her assault to police, however, prosecutors dropped the case a year later, citing a lack of evidence.

In a groundbreaking move, especially in Japan, Shiori investigated her own attack, collecting CCTV footage and medical records to support her claim.

Shiori Ito. Image: Getty

She held a press conference two years after the assault, publicly accusing Yamaguchi of rape. She went on to publish a book, Black Box, the same year, and has just released a documentary about her experience, Black Box Diaries.

While highlighting the persistent stigma, victim-blaming, and weak legal protections for sexual assault victim-survivors in Japan, Shiori faced intense backlash. 

As the #MeToo movement gained global momentum in 2017, Japan was largely resistant. However, Shiori's bravery inspired a smaller version of the movement, known as #WeToo and #WithYou, where other victims of sexual assault and harassment began sharing their stories.

Activists and women's rights groups started pushing for legal reforms and better support systems for survivors, and in 2017, Japan revised its rape laws for the first time in over a century, increasing the minimum prison sentence for rape and recognising male victims.

Two years later, a Tokyo court ruled in favour of Shiori in a civil lawsuit, ordering Yamaguchi pay AU$30,000 in damages.

Gisèle Pelicot. Image: Getty.

In 2011, Gisèle Pelicot, was also drugged and raped. The perpetrator was her husband, Dominique Pelicot. Pelicot continued to drug and rape his wife for the next nine years. He also arranged for 72 other men, whom he recruited online, to sexually assault his wife while she was unconscious. 

In 2020, when Pelicot was arrested for secretly filming under women's skirts in a supermarket, investigators found more than 20,000 videos and photos documenting the assaults on Gisèle.

At the start of the trial, in 2024, Gisèle chose to reveal her identity, requesting a public trial to flip the usual narrative, and place the shame squarely on the perpetrators rather than the victim.

Dominique Pelicot and 50 other men were found guilty of rape or sexual assault.

Gisèle's courage in publicly revealing her identity had far-reaching consequences in France and around the world.

Her case exposed deep flaws in the legal system, sparked conversations about sexual violence, and led to significant social and political changes.

It saw the the expansion of France's "lack of consent" laws to include cases where victims were drugged or unconscious, harsher penalties for coordinated sexual assaults involving multiple perpetrators, and the creation of specialised investigative units to handle digital evidence of sexual violence.

Gisèle's case also shattered the taboo surrounding marital rape in France, and inspired thousands of women to share their own experiences using the hashtags #JusticePourGisèle and #JeSuisGisèle on social media.

Amélie Lévêque. Image: AAP.

At nine years old, Amélie Lévêque underwent an appendectomy performed by Dr. Joël Le Scouarnec. At the time, Amélie was left feeling unsettled by the surgeon's behaviour, leading to an ongoing phobia of hospitals. 

In 2019, she found out why, discovering her name was listed in Dr Le Scouarnec's disturbing notebooks.

In the notebooks, the surgeon described sexually abusing his child patients, a crime he was charged with in 2020, after a six-year-old girl accused him of inappropriate touching. During the investigation, authorities uncovered evidence of extensive abuse involving nearly 300 victims. 

Amélie is the only victim that agreed to testify with her face uncovered, shedding light on the systemic failures that allowed the abuse to persist and support other victims in coming forward. 

Her decision to go public has been instrumental in prompting discussions about patient safety and sparked a social media movement with hashtags like #JusticePourAmélie and #MeTooMédical, encouraging others to share their own stories of abuse within healthcare settings.

After Amélie came forward, more of Le Scouarnec's victims filed complaints, leading to one of the largest child sexual abuse cases in France's history.

Reforms were introduced to ensure more thorough background checks before doctors could practice, especially for those working with children, while hospitals and medical institutions strengthened their policies for reporting and addressing complaints about sexual misconduct.

Amélie is expected to testify in the 2025 trial, ensuring that Le Scouarnec's full crimes are exposed and prosecuted.

As well as supporting and encouraging other victims of sexual assault, and reducing the misplaced shame and stigma around such crimes, these women have generated actual change — changes in legislation, and procedures that will ultimately protect women and girls in the future. 

Shiori, Gisèle and Amélie are speaking out for the women who can't; because many victim-survivors of sexual assault aren't able to show their face or lend their voice. 

For many women, speaking out may put their safety at risk, the well-being of their children or family may be compromised. For many women, the mental health repercussions of speaking about their experiences are simply too great. 

The Shioris, Gisèles and Amélies of the world are changing it, by speaking for those who can't. They're turning their own nightmares into movements.

We must know their names. We must ensure our daughters and sons know their names. 

We owe them that. More importantly still, we owe them these two words: Thank you.

Feature image: Getty/AAP.