“I have no regrets” is the main headline on the front page of Metro. They are the words of Gisèle Pelicot about her decision to waive anonymity in order to speak out about the rape and sexual abuse she underwent for years while drugged, which was orchestrated by her husband and involved dozens of strangers – some of whom were jailed on Friday.
The Express focuses on what it describes as Gisèle Pelicot’s “brave message of hope after horror”, in which she told other sex abuse survivors that they “share the same fight” and said she was “thinking of the unrecognised victims, whose stories often remain in the shadows”.
An image of Pelicot smiling, which several front pages are carrying, is on the front page of the Daily Mirror. It describes her as “the world’s bravest woman”. The paper also looks at the identities of some of the men who have also been found guilty of raping her, who greatly vary in age and come from a range of backgrounds.
The Guardian details the international response there has been to the Pelicot case following Thursday’s verdict. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said she had given “women round the world a strong voice”. The Guardian also carries an interview with Laurence Rossignol, a former French minister for family and women’s rights, who has questioned the gap in some sentences that prosecutors called for and what was given.
The Financial Times also carries an image of a smiling Pelicot, using the word “resolute” to describe her. Its main article looks at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s warning that European guarantees of ongoing support will not be enough if the US withdraws its aid. The FT says officials briefed on talks between the Ukrainian president and senior European leaders at a meeting in Brussels noted a “divergence of opinions on what Europe could continue to provide without US backing”.
“Now look who’s really crashing the economy” states the Daily Mail on its front page. It says the Bank of England’s downgrading of its growth outlook for the last three months of this year to zero is further evidence that the changes made to National Insurance by Chancellor Rachel Reeves are “crushing business”. The Mail also pays tribute to Gisèle Pelicot, describing her as “the elegant French woman with a core of steel who has become a heroine to every victim of male abuse”.
The economy is also the focus of the Times on its front page. It looks at comments by the Bank of England Governor, Andrew Bailey, who says that “with the heightened uncertainty in the economy”, the bank was unable to say when the next interest rate cuts would come. The Times says the growth forecasts are a “blow to Labour”, and carries comments by the prime minister, who has defended the budget but said this week that it would “take some time” to raise living standards.
The i looks at the government’s response to 36% increase in water costs for England and Wales over the next five years and the warning by the water regulator, Ofwat, that further hikes may be necessary to solve the UK’s sewage issues. The paper says Labour has put the regulator “on notice” that the failures that led to Thursday’s hike can never happen again, and that this reaction “fuels speculation on Ofwat’s future”.
The Daily Telegraph focuses on the news that Lord Mandelson is expected to be named as the UK’s next ambassador to the US. It believes the reasoning for the appointment is so that the UK “may be able to navigate potential trade wars”. An image of Tory leader Kemi Badenoch meeting with Clarkson’s Farm star Jeremy Clarkson to discuss the future of farming and Labour’s inheritance tax also features on the front page.
The image from the Christmas card fropm the Prince and Princess of Wales dominates the front page of the Sun. It shows William and Kate smiling alongside their three children. The Sun states that the family has had “their worst year ever”, having had to deal with cancer diagnoses for both the King and Catherine.
The afterlife is real, according to the Daily Star – which quotes “a man so clever he makes Albert Einstein look like a dimwit”. Chris Langan, who reportedly has one of the highest IQs in history, has told a podcast that death is “akin to transitioning to another dimension” and means “merely shedding your physical body”.
