Caroline Darian, Gisèle Pelicot's daughter, returned to the Mazan rape trial this Monday and said that her mother was “a modern-day heroine.”
A moment “which marks the history of our society”. Gisèle Pelicot's daughter paid a vibrant tribute to her mother, a little over a month after the Mazan rape trial. She participates in the documentary Chemical submission: so that shame changes sidesdirected by Linda Bendali, and broadcast this Tuesday January 21 at 9:10 p.m. on France 2.
On this same channel this Monday, January 20, she returned to Gisèle Pelicot's decision to make this trial public. “Among the children, I was the first to encourage my mother to open the doors of this court, four years ago when the facts were revealed. I always told my mother not to close her doors. doors there. It would have been a real gift for Dominique Pelicot and the 50 others,” explains Caroline Darian.
Gisèle Pelicot, “exhausted” following the trial
The latter believes that Gisèle Pelicot “never regretted” this decision. “To see how it was received by the French, and even across borders, it was a symbolically very strong act which marks the history of our society,” she continued on France 2.
“I find it difficult to talk about my mother as an icon. In my eyes, she is a heroine of modern times (…). She was able to come every day during the trial for confront these heinous crimes live via the videos broadcast (…). I don’t know many women who would have been capable of taking it on,” judged Caroline Darian, specifying that her mother “came away exhausted” from the trial.
-During the Mazan rape trial, Caroline Darian claimed that Dominique Pelicot abused her. He was also accused by family members of attempting to abuse several of his grandchildren. In both cases, the accused always denied it. Photos of her, naked, taken without her knowledge, were posted by her father on social networks. During the many weeks of hearings, she felt she was “the great forgotten person in this trial.”
“I know that I was sedated. It’s not a hypothesis, it’s a reality. I know it,” she said in mid-November.
Dominique Pelicot and the 50 co-defendants were sentenced to sentences ranging from 3 to 20 years in prison, last December 19. All of the sentences handed down fell short of the demands of the public prosecutor, who had requested sentences of 4 to 18 years in prison. No acquittal had been pronounced and certain facts were reclassified as sexual assault or attempted rape. 17 of the 50 co-defendants appealed. As a result, a new trial in the so-called Mazan rape case will be held at the end of 2025.
In October 2024, the government announced its intention to resume work to fight against chemical submission, worn by Sandrine Josso. The latter filed a complaint against Senator Joël Guerriau, accusing him of having drugged her without her knowledge during a dinner at his home. Medical tests revealed the presence of ecstasy in his body. In this case, the senator was indicted and placed under judicial supervision in November 2023.
