From the New York Times, I'm Michael Bavarro. This is the Daily.

As soon as this week, after months of testimony, verdicts are expected in a rape trial that has both horrified and captivated the people of France.

Today, my colleague correspondent Catherine Porter on the woman at the center of that trial

and how with a single decision she has turned the power dynamics of the Me Too era on their head.

It's Wednesday, December 18th.

Catherine, it has been a really long time, and I am very glad to be speaking with you.

Me too. It's nice to be back with you, Michael.

So we're going to be talking today about a case that when it first began to reverberate outside of France, where you are, really shocked the world.

And then, as even the most shocking things do, it kind of receded from our collective consciousness, but not from yours.

No, oh my God. And I think it hasn't receded from the French consciousness either because once you put your

mind to it and you lock your eyes on it, it's really hard to tear them away. This is a story of

a rape trial in which 51 men are on trial at the same time for raping or sexually assaulting

the same woman. So I think that even if you just hear that much, it's so much to handle,

but there's all these other elements that have made this case

impossible to look away from. And the most important one is the woman at the center and the way

she has conducted herself throughout this trial. And her decision really to use her own private torment and hell as a force for

greater good to change society.

Well, to understand how the woman at the center of this case does this remarkable thing,

let's start at the beginning of this case.

Sure.

So this case begins in the end of 2020,

and it involves a married couple living in the south of France,

...