The daughter of Gisèle Pelicot has expressed that her family chose to make the case public in order to encourage victims to come forward, speak out, and “not remain silent.”
Dominique Pelicot, Ms. Pelicot’s ex-husband, was found guilty of drugging and raping her multiple times for nearly a decade, and for allowing numerous strangers to assault her while she was unconscious in their home.
He received a 20-year prison sentence.
During an appearance on RTÉ Radio One’s Brendan O’Connor, Caroline Darian, Ms. Pelicot’s daughter, conveyed that while she aims to spread a message of hope, she feels the sentences issued to the men involved in the rape trial were insufficient.
“This was meant to be a landmark trial concerning chemical submission in France. I am not pleased with the final outcome,” she remarked.
Nevertheless, Ms. Darian indicated that the verdict delivered last month empowers other survivors of sexual assault to speak out, reassuring them that they have the right to do so.
Ms. Pelicot’s ex-husband was found guilty of repeatedly drugging and raping her for nearly a decade.
If the trial had not been made public, she asserted that it would have benefitted sexual abusers, including her father, and that going public was the only way for everyone involved to confront their crimes.
She emphasized that the family recognized it would be beneficial for society as a whole to shed light on this case.
During the judicial proceedings, Ms. Darian was shown police photographs of her mother’s unconscious body, which she noted depicted her in a similar state.
She expressed her shock upon seeing the images, realizing that her mother was not merely asleep but had been drugged.
“It took me some time to recognize that I was the one in the pictures, as they were captured at different times and places,” she shared.
Ms. Darian voiced her doubt regarding whether her father was entirely truthful during the trial, adding, “We still do not know how many sexual abusers raped my mother.”
She admitted that prior to learning about her and her mother’s experiences, she had a close relationship with her father and viewed him as supportive.
Ms. Darian stated that her father, Dominique Pelicot, ‘no longer exists.’
“We were a very close-knit family, and I placed a lot of trust in him,” she said, noting that she felt “abandoned” by him.
She declared, “I didn’t truly know him.”
“I was aware of one side, but not the other.”
“The father I once knew has died. The one I believed to exist probably never did and doesn’t exist now.”
“It’s over; he’s not a part of my life anymore.”
From prison, Ms. Darian recounted that her father attempted to maintain emotional control over her and her family through letters, in which he pleaded for their support and not to let him down.
She described him as “a profoundly dangerous man, a sexual abuser and manipulator.”
“He’s a criminal… which is why I will never refer to him as ‘dad’ again,” she asserted.
“He had a beautiful family, he had everything,” she commented, adding, “he’s a sexual pervert.”
“There’s no other explanation for his actions,” she said.
Ms. Darian and her brother, David, after the verdict.
She mentioned that she and her siblings, David and Florian, found the trial to be “extremely difficult,” particularly due to the behavior of those on trial.
“It was a monumental ordeal, and nothing could prepare us for it,” she explained.
Now promoting her memoir, Ms. Darian expressed her desire to derive something noble from her family’s ordeal, stating, “I had to learn to live with this legacy.”
“I genuinely wanted to create something larger than our family’s experience, to find some meaning in what we have endured,” she added.
Ms. Darian founded a charity named Mendors Pas, which translates to “don’t put me under.”
The charity’s mission is to raise awareness about chemical submission and to provide support to victims.
She emphasized that this issue is a public health concern, not just in France, but worldwide.
Despite receiving psychiatric assistance during this process, she noted the necessity for improvements in the care system for victims in France, and that legal reforms are essential.
She stated that her charity aims to establish a well-resourced training program for healthcare professionals and is actively involved in political advocacy as well.
Moreover, Ms. Darian highlighted the significance of education, insisting that parents must educate their children about sexual abuse to foster a safer future.
