Gisèle Pelicot’s daughter breaks silence about her ‘pervert’ father

The daughter of Gisèle Pelicot, who was raped repeatedly by her husband and other men, has made a bombshell claim against her “pervert” father.

The daughter of Gisèle Pelicot, who suffered years of horrific sexual abuse at the hands of her ex-husband and other men, has shared how she believes her father drugged and raped her too.

In an emotional interview with the BBC, Caroline Darian said she thinks her father, Dominique Pelicot, 72, “should die in prison” and described how she strongly suspects he sexually abused her alongside her mother.

The 46-year-old described the “burden” of being the daughter of both victim and perpetrator and added that her father is a “dangerous man” and has always been a “sexual pervert”.

Ms Darian recalled how her life changed forever when her mother told her the unthinkable news.

Gisele Pelicot’s husband and other men repeatedly raped her while she was unconscious. Picture: Christophe SIMON / AFP

“She announced to me that she discovered that morning that [my father] Dominique had been drugging her for about 10 years so that different men could rape her,” she told the BBC’s Radio 4’s Today program.

“At that moment, I lost what was a normal life. I remember I shouted, I cried, I even insulted him.

“It was like an earthquake. A tsunami.”

During police investigations, Ms Darian discovered that her father had photographs of her, unconscious, on a bed, wearing just a T-shirt and underwear.

She said that at first, she did not even realise the woman in the picture was her.

“I lived a dissociation effect. I had difficulties recognising myself from the start,” she explained.“Then the police officer said: ‘Look, you have the same brown mark on your cheek … it’s you.’

“I looked at those two photos differently then. I was laying on my left side like my mother, in all her pictures.”

Although he has always denied it, Ms Darian is convinced her father abused and raped her too.

“I know that he drugged me, probably for sexual abuse. But I don’t have any evidence,” she said.

Gisele’s daughter Caroline believes her father also raped her. Picture: Christophe SIMON / AFP

“And that’s the case for how many victims? They are not believed because there’s no evidence. They’re not listened to, not supported.”

In a harrowing case that sickened the world, it was revealed that French grandmother Gisèle Pelicot had been drugged and raped by her husband and other men over a nine year period from 2011 to 2020 at their home in Mazan, south-east France.

The 72-year-old only discovered her then-husband’s horrifying acts after he was arrested for upskirting women in a local supermarket, which led to police searching his computer.

In their investigations, they uncovered footage of Ms Pelicot being raped by her husband and other men while she was unconscious.

Dominique Pelicot drugged his wife and raped her, while inviting other men to do the same. Picture: Supplied

Gisele Pelicot leaves the court after a session of the trial. Picture: Christophe SIMON / AFP

Waiving her right to anonymity, her trial went public and in December 2024, 50 of the 51 men on trial – who were aged between 26 to 74 – were convicted of raping, attempting to rape and sexually assaulting her.

While her husband received the maximum 20-year sentence, the others involved received 3 to 15-year sentences.

Ms Pelicot’s case received worldwide attention and her courage to speak out on behalf of all victims of sexual assault won her global support and admiration.

She featured in the BBC’s 2024 list of 100 women of the year and the Financial Times list of the 25 most influential women of the year.

“I speak for all women who are drugged and don’t know about it,” Ms Pelicot said.

“I do it on behalf of all women who will perhaps never know.”

Pelicot’s unbelievable story has touched the world. Picture: Clement MAHOUDEAU / AFP

She said that she “couldn’t imagine (for) even one second that he could have committed acts of rape”, adding that she “trusted this man entirely”.

“I loved this man for 50 years. I would have sacrificed my own two hands for him,” she said.

Speaking outside court after the trial finished, Ms Pelicot said she “never regretted” her decision to go public with her story.

“I think of the unrecognised victims whose stories often remain in the shadows. I want you to know that we share the same fight,” she said.

“I now have confidence in our ability to collectively seize a future in which each woman and man can live in harmony with respect and mutual understanding.”

Originally published as Gisèle Pelicot’s daughter breaks silence about her ‘pervert’ father