For years, Caroline Darian believed she had a normal childhood. Her father, Dominique Pelicot, was a trusted figure in her life—a man she once confided in, who encouraged her through school and taught her to swim. But that image shattered when, in November 2020, she received a call from her mother, Gisèle Pelicot, revealing that her father had been arrested. The world soon learned the shocking truth: Dominique had been drugging and repeatedly raping his wife for over a decade, even allowing other men to assault her while she was unconscious. In December 2024, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison by a French court.
Now, two months after his conviction, Caroline has come forward with her own disturbing allegations—claims that her father drugged and abused her as a child. But instead of finding support from the one person who had suffered alongside her, she was met with silence.
A Discovery That Changed Everything
At first, Caroline struggled to believe what she was hearing. The father she had trusted was a predator. As the trial progressed, the evidence against Dominique was undeniable, and Caroline was forced to reconcile the man she knew with the monster the court described. But then, another horrifying truth emerged: investigators had discovered photos of her, taken without her knowledge, stored on her father’s laptop.
It was a revelation that left Caroline questioning everything. Had she, too, been his victim? The memories were unclear, but she believed the evidence spoke for itself. “I know he drugged me. He probably touched me. He probably raped me,” she said in an emotional interview.
Determined to seek justice, Caroline filed her own complaint against her father. However, without concrete proof, no formal charges were brought forward.
The Rift Between Mother and Daughter
While Caroline expected the legal battle to be difficult, she never imagined the personal toll it would take on her relationship with her mother. Gisèle, who had become a symbol of resilience after her own abuse was exposed, refused to acknowledge Caroline’s allegations. When asked about her daughter’s claims in court, she declined to comment.
For Caroline, the silence was unbearable. In her memoir, I’ll Never Call Him Dad Again, she wrote about the moment she realised their bond had been broken. “I spent years standing by my mother’s side, believing we were in this together. But when I needed her to believe me, she turned away.”
What made things worse was learning that Gisèle still had contact with Dominique. From his prison cell, he continued to exert control, sending letters and making requests. Caroline discovered that her mother had even sent him warm clothes and personal items. “He succeeded in dividing us,” she said bitterly.
Fighting for Justice
Despite the lack of legal recognition, Caroline refuses to stay silent. Her story has sparked widespread debate about justice for survivors of abuse, particularly when evidence is lacking. She has found support from her brothers, her husband, and close friends—but the justice system remains unmoved.
“I want the truth to be seen,” she insists. “The facts were not investigated properly. But I will not stop until I have answers.”
Caroline’s journey is far from over. While her father serves his sentence for crimes against her mother, she continues to fight for her own justice. And though her relationship with Gisèle remains fractured, she hopes that one day, her mother will listen—not just as a survivor, but as a mother who once held her daughter’s hand and promised to protect her.