Uncovering a Family's Dark Secret

Caroline Darian, the daughter of Gisèle Pelicot, has revealed her belief that her father drugged her and possibly raped her too. This shocking revelation came out during a major trial in France, where her father, Dominique Pelicot, and 49 others were found guilty of raping or sexually assaulting Gisèle. Caroline described her father as a monster and wished for him to spend the rest of his life in prison. She even wrote a book about their family's painful journey, titled "I’ll Never Call Him Dad Again. " The trial has brought attention to France's ongoing struggle with misogyny and sexual assault. When Caroline received a phone call from her mother in November 2020, she learned that her father had been drugging Gisèle for years to facilitate rape by different men. This revelation shattered Caroline's world. She believes she was also a victim, though she has no concrete evidence. "This happens to so many victims, " she lamented, "they're not believed because there's no evidence. "

In court, Dominique denied abusing his daughter. But Caroline lashed out, saying she would never see him again and he would die alone. The trial has pushed France to examine its culture of misogyny and systemic sexual assault. It also unveiled a new form of abuse, "chemical submission, " where drugs are used to facilitate sexual crimes. Dominique received the maximum sentence of 20 years for aggravated rape. The case began when Dominique was arrested for filming up skirts in a supermarket. Police found evidence on his devices that uncovered Gisèle's ordeal, leading to one of the most horrifying sex offense cases in France.

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