Gisèle Pelicot’s daughter shocks with her story: "I know my father drugged me, but I have no proof"

Chijioke Obinna

Gisèle Pelicot's daughter shocks with her story: "I know my father drugged me, but I have no proof"

“My father “I should die in prison”Caroline Darian, daughter of Gisèle and Dominique Pelicot, has declared exclusively for the BBC about the rape that her father, whom she refers to as Dominique, subjected her mother to for almost 10 years.

The aggressor was sentenced last December to 20 years in prison for drugging his then-wife so that other men could rape and abuse her.

Darian, 46, remembers the moment his mother broke the news to him. It was almost eight thirty in the afternoon on a Monday in November in 2020 when He received a call that changed his life forever..

“She told me that she discovered that morning that Dominique “He had been drugging her for almost 10 years so that different men could rape her.”Darian pointed out. “At that moment I lost what was a normal life.”

I lost what was a normal life

More than four years after he discovered what his father had done, Darian says he “should die in prison” for the atrocities he committed against his mother.

fifty men

They have been 51 aggressors identifiedamong them the one who was her husband at the time. On Dominique Pelicot’s computer, The police found thousands of videos and photos of Gisèle being raped by complete strangers while he was unconscious from the drugs administered.

But not only that, but the very Darian was called by authorities after they found two photographs on her father’s computer. They showed a woman, also unconscious, in bed who was dressed only in a T-shirt and underwear.

Darian says that at first he couldn’t distinguish that woman. “I experienced a dissociation effect, It was very difficult for me to recognize myself from the beginning,” he told the BBC.

“The policeman told me: ‘Look, you have the same mark on your cheek… it’s you.’ From that moment on I looked at the photos differently… I was lying on my left side, just like my mother in all of them.” their photos”.

I experienced a dissociation effect

After absorbing the facts, Darian has insisted that She is completely sure that her father also abused her and raped her.something that Dominique Pelicot has always denied. “I know he drugged me, probably to abuse me, but I have no proof,” he said.

I know he drugged me, probably to abuse me, but I have no proof

Dominique, sentenced to 20 years

The judges sentenced Dominique Pelicot to 20 years in prison, the maximum sentence provided by law in France. The court of Avignon (France) found Pelicot guilty of “aggravated rape”so his name was recorded on the sex offender registry.

Among the 50 identified aggressors, not counting Pelicot, There were men aged from 27 to 74 years old.. They were from all social classes and professions, such as firefighters, truck drivers, journalists, nurses, soldiers or retirees.

Some of them have acknowledged wrongdoing, while others still insist on the argument that they believed that Gisèle Pelicot had consented to sexual relations.

Chijioke Obinna

I've been passionate about storytelling and journalism since my early days growing up in Lagos. With a background in political science and years of experience in investigative reporting, I aim to bring nuanced perspectives to pressing global issues. Outside of writing, I enjoy exploring Nigeria’s vibrant cultural scene and mentoring young aspiring journalists.