Gisèle Pelicot returns to court on Monday to face the appeal of one of dozens of men convicted raping her while she was in a drugged state, encounters that her husband recorded.

The initial trial of 51 men horrified France and raised disturbing questions about the pervasiveness of rape, the use of pharmaceuticals to abuse women and the uncomfortably familiar faces of rapists who were also fathers and neighbors.

Ms. Pelicot drew widespread admiration for opening the initial trial to the public, determined that the shame of rape not fall on survivors.

As a victim, she is not obliged to attend the appeal trial but feels “it’s totally impossible” to stay away, said one of her lawyers, Antoine Camus.

The appeal trial is scheduled to last three and a half days in the southern city of Nîmes and is expected to grip the country again.

Here’s what to know about the case.

What happened in the first trial?

Ms. Pelicot’s former husband, Dominique Pelicot, admitted to regularly drugging her for almost a decade to rape her. He then offered her up to dozens of men he met on a website, since shut down, and videotaped them while they raped her.