Gisèle Pelicot's daughter explains how father's horrific crimes impacted their relationship in first live UK interview
Warning: This article contains discussion of rape which some readers may find distressing.
Gisèle Pelicot’s daughter Caroline Darian has spoken out about how her father’s horrific crimes impacted their relationship.
Caroline opened up about the effect the experience had on her during an interview with ITV’s This Morning, being interviewed by Ben Shepard and Cat Deeley in her first live UK interview.
Gisèle Pelicot made headlines worldwide after the brave decision to waive her anonymity during the horrific trial in which her husband, Dominique Pelicot, was convicted of drugging her so that he and others could rape her.
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Dominique was found to have raped Gisèle and to have invited more than 50 strangers into their home in order to do the same. He was jailed for 20 years in the landmark trial.
Caroline appeared on the show to discuss her book about the heartbreaking ordeal of her father’s horrific crimes against her mother being exposed to the world.
She has previously claimed in her new book that she too was attacked by her father and that her mother ‘does not want to believe or hear’ her allegations.
Speaking on This Morning she opened up about this, claiming that her mum struggled to see Dominique ‘as he is - a pervert and deviant.’
She went on to say “When you live with someone as she did for almost 50 years, 50 years of togetherness.
“For her, it is still difficult to imagine that it is possible. So we are in a different position with my mum.”
When asked by Shephard whether the pair had become distanced, she said: “Yes - we have to rebuild each other in a different way and we can't help each other.”
Caroline stated that when she received a phone call from her mum and learned of her father’s crimes she ‘was in a state of shock’.
She added: “The worst thing was to discover that you were betrayed by one of the most important men in your own life. For me, it was his father, I've got his DNA.
Speaking about being the daughter of both the survivor and the abuser in the case, Caroline said: “You have to split in two, I don't know how to cope with that. It's really difficult to feel on our shoulders, it's our legacy."
Caroline stated that her and her family's worlds 'collapsed' after learning what Dominique had done.
The Times has reported that psychologists warned Caroline that her relationship with her mum was unlikely to survive the trial. Despite this, and the breakdown in their relationship, Caroline called her mum Gisèle a ‘hero’.
She said: “She is 72 years old, she came every single day for two months, facing her sexual abuser... She has tremendous courage. We are really proud of her."
Caroline filed a legal complaint against her father six days ago, accusing her father of drugging and raping her over a period of what she believes could be ten years, primarily during her 30s.
Dominique stated he had ‘never touched’ his daughter, with her yelling at him in court: “I know you abused me. You don’t have the courage to tell me.”
Dominique was convicted of taking ‘indecent images’ of Caroline after being found to be in possession of pictures of her in a bed she did not recognise, wearing underwear she did not own. In addition to this, she was in the 'same position' Gisèle was.
These images were found on a hard drive belonging to the convicted rapist, full of hundreds videos of Gisèle being sexually abused and raped. Caroline referred to herself on the interview as an 'invisible victim' and said she knows 'something wrong' happened.
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact the Rape Crisis England and Wales helpline on 0808 500 222, available 24/7. If you are currently in danger or need urgent medical attention, you should call 999.
Topics: TV, TV and Film, Crime, World News, This Morning, ITV
Michael Slavin