Gisèle Pelicot is being hailed a hero around the world. The 72-year-old’s bravery for waiving anonymity in her sexual assault case has sparked a movement in France and across multiple countries for victims of abuse to speak out. In the trial against her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, known as the Mazan mass rape case, Gisèle testified that she was drugged and raped for a decade by not only her ex-husband but also dozens of strangers whom he invited over while he filmed the assaults. Dominque was sentenced to 20 years in prison for aggravated rape. Gisèle and Dominique’s daughter, Caroline Darian, speculated whether or not she was a victim of rape by Dominique, though he vehemently denied this. Caroline’s book, Et j’ai cessé de t’appeler papa (which translates to And I stopped calling you father, according to The Guardian) explores how she came to terms with the case against her father.
The three-month trial concluded in December 2024. Gisèle’s supporters and feminist groups have campaigned for change when it comes to sexual assault cases and predators’ accountability. According to the New York Post, Fanny Foures of the organization Les Amazones pointed out, “Men are starting to talk to women — their girlfriends, mothers and friends — in ways they hadn’t before. It was awkward at first, but now real dialogues are happening. Some women are realizing, maybe for the first time, that their ex-husbands violated them, or that someone close to them committed abuse. And men are starting to reckon with their own behavior or complicity — things they’ve ignored or failed to act on. It’s heavy, but it’s creating change.”
Learn more about Gisèle Pelicot’s children and what they said about their father.
How Many Children Do Gisèle & Dominique Pelicot Have?
Gisèle and Dominique have three adult children: two sons named David, 50, and Florian Pelicot, 38, and a daughter named Caroline, 45, according to several outlets.
Who Are Gisèle & Dominique Pelicot’s Sons?
David and Florian testified in court to support their mother and sister, who were photographed naked by Dominique with hidden cameras. The Pelicot brothers also had the chance to face their father, whom Florian called “the devil,” according to The Guardian.
“Learning that my father is one of the biggest criminals of the last 20 years — how do you rebuild from that?” Florian asked before looking at Dominique to say, “You always said our mother was a saint, but you were the devil in person.”
Florian also testified that his father photographed his now-ex-wife while she was nude. He also recalled the years when Dominique secretly drugged Gisèle, but at the time, Florian and David thought their mother had Alzheimer’s because she acted “groggy” and absent sometimes.
“I saw my mother switch off, I felt she was no longer with us. She was completely groggy, staring ahead,” Florian said. “I said, ‘Mum are you OK? Dad, is there a problem?’ He got up fast and said ‘I’ll put her to bed.’ We went home. But imagine if I had forgotten something and gone back to the house — what I would have found? He had planned to do to her what we now know he did.”
David then took the stand to discuss how his wife had also been photographed naked by Dominique. “When I discovered that my wife, when pregnant with twins, was photographed — and I don’t know how many photographs — I want to ask: ‘How could you do such a thing?’” David asked his father in court.
The eldest Pelicot brother also pointed out that their sister “is fighting a battle, the hardest battle of her life, and we’ll always be there for her.” David then added, “I’d like to say to all women who are mothers, and all girls … as they start their life as young women, please, please don’t be afraid to speak out. The omertà is over. We have to speak out.”
Who Is Gisèle & Dominique’s Daughter?
Caroline testified in court about the photographs that her father took of her in bed.
“I know I was sedated. It’s not a supposition, it’s a reality. I know it,” she said, according to The Guardian. During another point in the trial, Caroline speculated whether her father abused her. “How could he have photographed me in the middle of the night without waking me? Did he also drug me? Worse still, did he abuse me?” she reportedly asked.
Dominique claimed he never sexually abused Caroline nor any of his and Gisèle’s grandchildren. However, he was accused of violating Caroline’s privacy by sharing pictures of her online, which authorities found was a file named, “Around my daughter, naked,” according to multiple outlets.
If you or anyone you know has been sexually abused, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, judgment-free support as well as local resources to assist in healing, recovering and more.
