While Gisele Pelicot has become a worldwide symbol of resilience, her daughter Caroline Darian Peyronnet has questioned her childhood. She suspects that her father might have physically abused her on several occasions.
In November 2020, Gisele Pelicot’s daughter received the daunting news that her father, Dominique, had intoxicated her mother and abused her several times throughout their marriage.
Further, Dominique had posted explicit pictures on dark web forums and invited men to take turns with his wife. The accused included men from a 30km radius of the Pelicot home, including firefighters, journalists, DJs, and security guards.
Caroline Darian, daughter of Gisèle Pélicot, told 𝘊̧𝘢 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘈𝘶𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘥'𝘩𝘶𝘪 how she learned that her father had been drugging her mother and inviting more than 80 men to rape her at their home as he filmed the attacks.
— Genevieve Gluck (@WomenReadWomen) September 4, 2024
Dominique Pélicot would reach out to… https://t.co/Sva0ZSAuxi pic.twitter.com/DSA01U8LhD
Soon after such harrowing news, Caroline Darian and her two brothers moved their mother out of the family house. However, the investigation revealed Dominique’s sinister actions, which shook people to the core.
Besides thousands of photos and pictures of Gisele, the convict’s drive included a folder titled My Naked Daughter. The file included images of a young Caroline Darian with her clothes off on the bed.
Darian realized that her father didn’t remember the incident and wasn’t aware of what the convict did to her. Despite efforts, the court didn’t charge Dominique for physically violating her minor daughter.
However, such obstacles haven’t stopped Darian from supporting her mother during the 10-week-long trail in Avignon, France. Gisele Pelicot and her daughter have advocated for victims worldwide through the hearings.
Additionally, the 45-year-old described herself as a ‘forgotten victim,’ claiming that the case has put a deep scar on her life. She often finds herself questioning her childhood and the image of her protective father.
Caroline Darian dedicated a book to her mother, Gisele Pelicot, and her endurance!
Throughout the trial, Darian urged her father to come clean with the truth. She stated that she has to know what happened- or didn’t happen- with her to get over the horrors.
In her support, her brother, Florian, pleaded in court: “If you have any dignity and humanity- you don’t have anything let to lose anyway- tell Caroline the truth.”
Despite such claims from his children, Dominique denied the accusations and agreed with charges of violence against his wife. Due to his behavior, Darian called her father a ‘liar’ in court.
Since the initial reporting of Dominique’s sentencing to 20 years in prison, both Darian and her mother have become a global icon for feminism and resilience. Over the years, she penned a personal book detailing her family’s horror over the years.
In her book Et j’ai cessé de t’appeler Papa, which translates to And I Stopped Calling You Father, Darian described how she increasingly became tormented by the idea that she was one of her father’s victims.
Similarly, Darian revealed how the case affected her mental health to such a point that she crafted a permanent rift with her mother. For years, Gisele was convinced she had a perfect husband and father.
🚨 IT GETS WORSE – UPDATE ON THE MONSTER OF FRANCE TRIAL 🚨
— Unmasked True Crime (@crimeunmasked) September 8, 2024
More details emerge in this dark and twisted case out of Avignon, France. Dominique and Gisele Pèlicot's daughter, Caroline Darian, 45, testified in court that her father was the "worst sexual predator of the last… pic.twitter.com/mKABUvKwUW
Additionally, she went on to describe that her father often hid the illegal substances in a sock inside a hiking shoe in the garage. Dominique also took out large loans inder his wife’s name.
Darian recalled an incident where Dominique always used to pick up Gisele’s phone. She added, “He’d say she was resting from their stay. Always same lies and to think we believed it.“
Later, she claimed that Gisele ‘seemed out of it,’ and her last absence was on October 20, 2020. It was the last recorded date of the violence before officials detained Dominique.
Additional Information
- According to the reports, at least a dozen men filmed by Dominique Pelicot haven’t been traced. All 50 men who went to court with Gisele’s husband have been found guilty on charges.
- Caroline Darian attended the Women Foundation’s 2025 event and addressed her mother’s strong will. She added that she would continue to advocate for the cause and bring justice to all victims.
