Gisèle Pelicot plans to meet ex-husband in prison for answers on other allegations

Gisèle Pelicot, whose ex-husband Dominique Pelicot was jailed in December 2024 for drugging her and facilitating her rape by dozens of men, plans to visit him in prison. She seeks answers regarding potential abuse of their daughter, Caroline Darian, and his alleged involvement in a 1991 rape and murder case. Questions arose after police found photos of Darian unconscious, leading to a strained relationship between mother and daughter, though they are now rebuilding their bond. Gisèle hopes Dominique will provide clarity on the allegations against him, expressing a desire for remorse and truth. The case, which shocked France, involved at least 70 perpetrators, many of whom remain unidentified.

Gisèle Pelicot, survivor of a decade-long ordeal, gave an in-depth interview to BBC Newsnight's Victoria Derbyshire, discussing the largest rape trial in French history. Pelicot was drugged and raped by numerous men recruited by her husband, Dominique Pelicot, via online chat rooms. Before the trial, she bravely waived her anonymity to publicly identify herself. In the interview, Pelicot expressed disbelief that her husband could commit such acts and shared her journey of rebuilding her life. She revealed feeling "crushed by horror" but not anger and was "overwhelmed" by a letter of support from the Queen.

Gisèle Pelicot, a French woman, shared her story of sexual abuse and trauma in an interview published for the first time with an American media outlet. In 2011, Pelicot's husband, Dominique Pelicot, drugged and raped her repeatedly, while also inviting dozens of men to assault her while she was heavily sedated. The abuse continued until 2020, when Dominique was arrested for secretly filming up women's skirts at a supermarket near their home in southeastern France. Police discovered videos and photographs of the abuse, which included Pelicot being assaulted by at least 70 men. Pelicot chose to go public with her story after a trial of her abusers began, becoming a feminist icon in France. She has since written a memoir about her experiences, titled "A Hymn to Life: Shame Has to Change Sides."

In February 2026, The New York Times interviewed Gisèle Pelicot, the central figure in France's largest mass-rape trial. The interview explored her life before, during, and after the abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband, Dominique Pelicot, over a decade. Gisèle described discovering that her husband had drugged and repeatedly raped her, inviting at least 70 men to assault her while she was unconscious in their home in Mazan, France. She discussed her decision to publicly identify herself during the trial of these men. The interview also touched upon the impact of these revelations on her family, including her relationship with her daughter, Caroline Darian.

Gisèle Pelicot, a French woman who became a symbol of courage after being drugged and raped by dozens of men, including her husband, recounts her initial shock in her upcoming memoir, "A Hymn to Life." The memoir details how in November 2020, police informed Pelicot that her husband, Dominique, had been drugging her for nearly a decade and inviting men to rape her at their home in Mazan, France. Pelicot describes her disbelief upon seeing images of herself unconscious, comparing herself to a "rag doll." Dominique Pelicot was initially investigated for secretly filming women, which led to the discovery of his crimes against his wife. Ultimately, 51 men were found guilty of rape or sexual assault. Pelicot chose to make the trial public to avoid being isolated with her abusers and to expose their crimes.