French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to Gisèle Pelicot's fight on Friday, a day after the conclusion of a landmark mass rape trial in Avignon that found her ex-husband guilty of aggravated rape and sentenced him to 20 years in prison.

Ex-husband Dominique Pelicot wept as he became one of 51 men convicted in a mass rape and sexual abuse trial involving Gisèle Pelicot, that saw her drugged and sexually assaulted over a number of years. But his children believe the verdicts handed down to the guilty men in the case were too mild, a family member said.

Gisèle Pelicot became a hero to many in France and beyond for courageously demanding that all the evidence be heard in open court.