Daughter of Gisèle Pelicot seeks acknowledlement as a victim as well.
Lamenting as a Forgotten Victim
In the raw cry of a neglected soul, Caroline Darian echoes her plight in "So That We Remember." A worldwide traveler, she found herself in Montreal, determined to shed light on a brutally hidden truth - her own victimization. Born to Gisele and Dominique Pelicot, Caroline accuses her father of heinous crimes, while he stands convicted for his atrocities against her mother.
"When they say there's only one proven victim [Gisele Pelicot], it's a damn lie," Caroline proclaims, confronting the ghosts of the past. Among the submerged evidence seized by justice, two photographs - labelled as "The daughter of the slut" and "My daughter naked" - depict Caroline lying helplessly, clad in a panty not her own. "I believe there were more photos, I know I was drugged for the abuse. But I can't prove it," she admits in her testament.
Less than 1% of sexual violence survivors possess proof of their ordeal, Caroline points out, her fellow victims "voiceless, unheard, and without recognition." In her book, the 46-year-old woman continues her despairing narrative after her first publication, "And I Stopped Calling You Dad," in 2022.
Murky Secrets
"Investigators, possibly dumbfounded by the horrors unveiled, wanted a swift resolution," Caroline recounts in an interview. The trial that ensued concluded in December 2023, with Dominique Pelicot sentenced to 20 years in prison for the decade-long series of despicable crimes he committed against his ex-wife.
However, the two photographs of Caroline, much like her quest for the truth, were "put on the back burner," she laments. "I told the justice, the investigators, the examining judge, 'My father drugged me and probably did more. I ask you to investigate, I ask you to make him speak.' But nothing happened. All I received during the trial were his signs of 'evasions, coldness, and lack of empathy': 'I don't remember if I took those photos.' Furthermore, he denies any assault on his children and grandchildren."
A Mother's Denial
A lack of confessions and a deeper investigation left Caroline Darian alone, consumed with "abandonment" and "injustice." This was especially true as her mother refused to acknowledge her own victimization by Dominique Pelicot. "My mother won't believe me or listen to me," she says, her bitterness palpable. This insurmountable reality left the 40-something woman in agony during the trial.
"Too much abandonment," she writes.
As of today, the two women have not been able to restore their relationship. "She continues her life," the author told Le Devoir. "We speak very little. I think she can't help me. And I have to respect that." Perhaps it's a defense mechanism, suggests Caroline Darian. "For my mother, she is the only victim, he could only have targeted her."
Gisèle Pelicot, who is reportedly writing her memoirs, likely would not have wished for this book to see the light of day, her daughter hypothesizes. "But, I needed to free myself from what she might think because it's part of my healing. My analysis and decoding will never, no doubt, be hers."
Other Victims
This book, according to Caroline Darian, also underscores the "failures" of the judicial system and pays tribute to other victims of Dominique Pelicot. In her opinion, the man is a serial rapist. "I'm convinced of it. The question that remains is: how many are there?"
In her book, the author recounts two brutal attacks on real estate agents, subdued with ether in 1991 and 1999. Blood found at one of the crime scenes was matched with Dominique Pelicot's DNA, but samples from the other attack - which resulted in the young woman's murder - were lost. "How is that possible?" says Caroline Darian, accusing a system "that allows sexual predators to evade justice and maintain a normal life."
To rebuild herself and give a voice to victims who cannot be recognized as such, Caroline Darian established the association M'endors pas in 2023. "I wanted to shed light on a social issue [chemical submission] that wasn't talked about at all five years ago, and has proven to be the preferred weapon of sexual aggressors," she explains. Chemical submission functions as "the ultimate stage of male domination for the purposes of sexual crimes and aggression."
A struggle that this mother of a family engages in to act, since "suffering in silence is too much." "It's part of my therapy."
In February 2025, Caroline Darian filed a new lawsuit to reopen the investigation into the crimes allegedly committed against her by Dominique Pelicot. "I have a sliver of hope that it will lead to a follow-up. But I needed to go through this process for myself."
Since truth, she promises to continue pursuing it, "whether it pleases or not."
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- In her latest memoirs, Caroline Darian accuses her father, Dominique Pelicot, of drug-induced sexual assault, a charge he denies.
- Despite having evidence of her victimization, Caroline Darian claims that her voice, along with many other victims, has been voiceless and unheard.
- The French-Canadian author, Caroline Darian, started an association M'endors pas in 2023, aimed at addressing the issue of chemical submission used by sexual aggressors.
- Two brutal attacks on real estate agents, in 1991 and 1999, are recalled by Caroline Darian, and blood from one crime scene had a match with Dominique Pelicot's DNA.
- Hydro-Québec, a major player in wind power production, has taken a step towards denationalization, giving the private sector a majority control in wind power generation.
- According to reports, around 145,000 Hydro-Québec customers have been left without power due to adverse weather conditions.
- The Liberals fell short of securing a majority government in recent elections, with 169 elected candidates, three short of the majority threshold. (crime-and-justice, general-news, health-and-wellness, hydro-quebec, mens-health, parenting, sexual-health, womens-health)
