The Shocking Private Remark That Severed Gisèle Pelicot’s Daughter’s Voice Forever—What Happened in Court?

Sometimes, the darkest stories hide the most twisted family secrets — and what happens when the very people you should trust the most become the source of pain? Caroline Darian’s heartbreaking journey through her father Dominique Pelicot’s horrific crimes shatters any illusions about family being a safe haven. A man sentenced to 20 years for drugging his wife and orchestrating the unthinkable, a mother who bravely lifted her veil of anonymity but left her daughter feeling abandoned, and a daughter grappling not only with trauma but also with a fractured relationship she never saw coming. It’s a stark reminder that sometimes bravery isn’t about applause—it’s about the hard truths no one wants to face, especially when your own blood is involved. Ready to dive into a story that’s as gut-wrenching as it is eye-opening? LEARN MORE.

Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual assault and rape which some readers may find distressing.

Claiming she made a heartbreaking private comment during her father’s trial, Caroline Darian no longer speaks to her mother, Gisèle Pelicot.

Dominique Pelicot pleaded guilty last December to repeatedly drugging his wife and inviting strangers from the internet to rape and sexually assault her while she was unconscious.

At the end of the historic trial, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with daughter Caroline saying he ‘should die’ in there.

And as Gisèle’s bravery in waiving her anonymity was admired around the world, it turned out her daughter had also been a victim of Dominique’s horrific crimes.

A call from police revealed there were also photos of her on his laptop, wearing only a T-shirt and underwear in a deleted file called ‘My Daughter Naked’.

Caroline Darian was the ‘second victim’ of her father’s crimes (JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images)

Caroline went on to write the book, I’ll Never Call Him Dad Again, exploring her family’s trauma as she tried to grapple with the fact that she was the ‘second victim’.

At the end of the trial, Dominique was only charged with taking indecent images of his daughter as she told the judge: “I’m a forgotten victim in this case.”

But during the trial, Caroline told The Telegraph her relationship with Gisèle was tested and now they no longer speak.

“My mother let go of my hand in that courtroom,” she claimed. “She abandoned me.”

Caroline said she supported her mum ‘without ever judging her’.

“And it wasn’t always easy because she didn’t want to hear what I was telling her about Dominique. But in that courtroom, she was supposed to help me,” she explained.

Caroline said she can ‘never forgive’ Gisèle for not helping as she claimed that in the courtyard outside the trial, her mum ‘a couple of times’ said: “Stop making a spectacle of yourself.”

The family’s bravery was applauded around the world (Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images)

Caroline went on to say that is the ‘difference’ between herself and her mother as she added: “What I’m trying to say is that my mother isn’t an icon – not to me.”

She continued: “My mum was catapulted into the limelight; she became an icon. Meanwhile, there we were, back down on earth, with all these unanswered questions – and we are damaged. Really damaged. And we are alone.”

Caroline says she respects her mother has started a ‘new life’ but: “What I don’t respect is that she didn’t fulfil her contract with me. You stay a mother until you die, whatever the trials and tribulations – but she didn’t.”

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.

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact The Survivors Trust for free on 08088 010 818, available 10am-12.30pm, 1.30pm-3pm and 6pm-8pm Monday to Thursday, 10am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-3pm on Fridays, 10am-12.30pm on Saturdays and 6pm-8pm on Sundays.