Caroline Darian has shared her allegations of abuse inflicted by her father, Dominique Pelicot, who is currently imprisoned.
In 2020, Pelicot was apprehended for inappropriately filming women in a supermarket. Further investigations revealed that he had been drugging his wife, Gisèle, allowing other men to assault her while she was incapacitated by sedatives and anti-anxiety medications.
Pelicot documented these assaults on a hard drive labeled ‘abuse,’ showcasing the extent and duration of these crimes.
He was convicted for the attempted aggravated rape of a friend’s wife and for taking indecent photos of his daughter, Caroline Darian, along with his daughters-in-law.
Following his conviction, Pelicot received a 20-year prison sentence.
While Pelicot serves his sentence, Darian expressed to the judge her feelings of being the ‘forgotten victim’ in this situation.
She has accused her father of drugging and raping her, with an ongoing investigation to determine if there is sufficient evidence for a trial.
“I know that he drugged me, probably for sexual abuse. But I don’t have any evidence,” she told the BBC.
Pelicot denies these accusations, and Darian claims her mother never believed her.
In a conversation with The Telegraph, Darian elaborated on the alleged abuse. Police recovered deleted images from Pelicot’s hard drive, stored in a folder labeled ‘My Daughter Naked,’ showing Darian unconscious and in unfamiliar underwear.
“Every day we were learning something new, and that’s when I started writing about the sequences of events in real time, like a daily diary,” Darian told The Telegraph.
Darian realized she was her father’s ‘second victim’ but lacked detailed knowledge of the abuse she endured. Throughout the years, she suffered unexplained gynecological issues, including a severe vaginal tear requiring hospitalization.
“When I came out, I knew that I had to keep writing everything down, otherwise I would never get through it. In those first few days and weeks,” she said. “I think it was actually a way for me to stay alive.”
Her claims suggest her mother found it hard to believe her husband could harm their daughter, as recounted in her book, “I’ll Never Call Him Dad Again,” where Gisèle allegedly said, ‘Your father is incapable of such a thing.’
Darian and Gisèle are no longer in contact, with Darian explaining to The Telegraph: “My mother let go of my hand in that courtroom. She abandoned me.”
“For four years I accompanied my mum everywhere. I supported her without ever judging her. And it wasn’t always easy because she didn’t want to hear what I was telling her about Dominique.”
“But in that courtroom, she was supposed to help me. And that I can never forgive her for. Never.”
Today, Darian is an advocate for sexual abuse victims, finding solace in helping others through her own harrowing experiences.
If you have been affected by any of the issues discussed, you can reach out to The National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Online support is also available at online.rainn.org.