Gisele Pelicot's Daughter Says Pornography Responsible For Rape Cases
Caroline Darian, the daughter of Gisele Pelicot who was drugged and raped by her husband and multiple other men, has blamed pornography for what her mother endured during her lifetime. She said her mother wouldn't have been raped over 200 times if there were no such pornographic content and websites.
Speaking at the Hay Festival, the author-activist said abuse could result from "so many social problems like online porn," which is a "part of the system" of violence and misogyny.
She attended the festival to promote her book 'I'll Never Call Him Dad Again.' A male audience member asked how men could "step up" and help end abusive patterns.
Ms Darian said that "you need to talk between guys" about pornography, The Guardian reported.
Gisele Pelicot was raped by multiple men, including Darian's father, Dominique Pelicot, for nearly a decade.
She received massive support after refusing to remain anonymous during her ex-husband and other defendants' trial. Pelicot received a 20-year prison sentence last year.
Ms Darian expressed sympathy for her mother, whom she no longer talks to. She claimed in her book that they had reached a "point of no return" in their relationship after her mother did not believe Ms Darian when she said her father had raped her.
She said her mother's reluctance to stand behind her was a "means for her to protect herself."
In a conversation with actor-activist Jameela Jamil, the author said her mother was unable to acknowledge that 'I probably was drugged by my father.'
'It is a way for her to protect herself,' she continued.
She claimed it is "quite difficult" to acknowledge that your child has experienced abuse. "I believe my mother cannot recognise it because if she does, I think she's going to die," she said.
In 2024, Dominique Pelicot was found guilty of drugging his wife Gisele several times over ten years and raping her. He also arranged for dozens of other men to rape her while he watched and recorded. He was ultimately given the maximum punishment of 20 years in prison. France's worst mass rape trial ever resulted in the conviction of 51 men.
Darian Pelicot said that Dominique's actions had "a real impact on the whole family, and everyone from her family had a different position."
She had accused Dominique Pelicot of drugging her and engaging in "sexual abuse" against her in a complaint filed in March. She said she filed a lawsuit as a "message to all victims" of drugged-out sexual abuse to keep fighting.
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