Mazan, France – Caroline Darian, the daughter of Dominique Pelicot, the man who admitted to drugging and raping his wife, Gisèle, for nearly a decade, has spoken out against her father, declaring he deserves to spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Dominique, 72, was convicted last month in a case that horrified France and fueled global conversations about rape culture and chemical submission crimes.
He was sentenced to 20 years in prison after confessing to using crushed sleeping tablets to drug Gisèle before allowing dozens of strangers he met online to abuse her unconscious body.
The abuse occurred inside their home in the medieval village of Mazan, where Dominique not only violated his wife but also raped another woman and distributed illicit images of his daughter and two daughters-in-law.
The case is regarded as one of the most egregious sexual abuse scandals in recent memory.
Caroline, who authored I’ll Never Call Him Dad Again, revealed that confronting the truth shattered her sense of normalcy.
“When my mother called me in 2020 to tell me she had discovered he was drugging her, my life was destroyed. It was like an earthquake — a tsunami.”
Caroline described the devastating moment when police showed her photographs of a drugged woman believed to be herself. Though she has no direct evidence, she suspects her father may have drugged her as well.
“He is a dangerous man. There’s no way he should ever get out.”
Caroline has become a leading advocate against drug-facilitated sexual crimes. She views her activism as a way to distance herself from the man she no longer considers a father.
“I don’t remember the father I once thought he was. I only see the sexual criminal he is.”
Dominique’s conviction marks only part of the legal battle. Of the 50 other men found guilty, 17 have lodged appeals, with sentences ranging from three to 15 years.
A new trial is scheduled for autumn, bringing renewed anguish for Gisèle and her family.
While Dominique has chosen not to appeal his sentence, the identities and reasons for the appeals remain undisclosed.
- Dominique Pelicot, 72, admitted to drugging and raping his wife for nearly a decade.
- His daughter, Caroline Darian, calls him a sexual predator and says he should die in prison.
- The case involved 50 other men, many convicted of rape, with 17 filing appeals.
- Caroline is now a prominent voice against chemical submission and sexual violence.
This case highlights the urgent need to address crimes involving drug-facilitated sexual abuse as the fight for justice continues in France.
