Caroline Darian, 45, has repeatedly accused her father of drugging and abusing her after disturbing photos of her unconscious, semi-naked body were found on his laptop. While Dominique Pelicot denies the abuse, he has admitted to drugging his wife, Gisèle, for years and organizing sexual assaults on her while she was unconscious at their home.
Dominique Pelicot, along with 50 other men, has been on trial since September, and a verdict is expected on December 20.
During a dramatic day in court in Avignon, Gisèle’s lawyers delivered their closing statements, highlighting the groundbreaking nature of the trial and commending her courage in exposing the truth by giving up her anonymity.
Caroline spoke through tears, recounting her pain over what she believes to be her father’s ongoing lies. She shared how her world collapsed in 2020 when police showed her the photos of her, taken without her consent, from her father’s laptop.
When it was his turn to speak for the final time, Dominique Pelicot addressed his daughter directly. He expressed regret, saying, “Some may laugh, but it’s my daughter I wish I could look at in the face. It hurts to see her like this. I would love to see her, I would love to talk to her.”
Caroline’s response was filled with fury and pain. “I will never come see you. Never. You will die alone like a dog,” she shouted across the courtroom.
This marked the final exchange between a father and daughter who had once been close. Dominique recalled comforting her as a child when she was recovering from surgery, and reminisced about her teenage years. But when he told her that he would always love her, even if she had stopped loving him, she remained silent, tears streaming down her face. As the session ended, Caroline walked up to the glass box where her father sat and yelled, “You had two months [to tell the truth]!”
In his testimony, Pelicot described himself as a sex addict and stated that being caught by the police in 2020 had actually “unburdened” him. He denied that his actions were motivated by an inferiority complex or revenge for an affair Gisèle had in the 1980s. When asked about “chemical submission” — the act of drugging someone to manipulate them into sexual acts — he dismissed it as “crap” and said it “annihilates everything” and should never be done.
The closing arguments from Gisèle Pelicot’s legal team followed. They painted a powerful picture of the extent of Gisèle’s suffering, emphasizing the historic nature of the trial and urging the judges to impose sentences that truly reflected the gravity of her pain. Lawyer Antoine Camus rejected the defense’s argument that the men didn’t realize Gisèle was unconscious and thus didn’t know they were raping her. He stated, “Manipulation is not hypnosis,” and stressed that the men involved were aware of what was happening.
Camus also pointed out that all of the men who came into the house knew they were not the first to be involved in the abuse, calling it a “house of horrors.”
Stéphane Babonneau, another lawyer for Gisèle, described how, in 2023, Gisèle decided to waive her anonymity. As her case started gaining media attention, she realized she had to take back control of her life and stop hiding. Babonneau explained that Gisèle believed that by revealing the details of her ordeal, she could help other women who had suffered in silence.
He also passionately argued against the defense’s claim that the men acted out of ignorance or by mistake. “If we accept that men can make mistakes like this, what will stop another man tomorrow from saying he didn’t understand when a woman said ‘no’?” he asked.
In his closing words, Babonneau paid tribute to Gisèle’s bravery. “They will hear about her courage, and about the price she paid,” he said. Turning to Gisèle, he added, “You did your job. You went beyond what was expected of you. Now, it’s time to pass on the torch to those who will continue the fight you never chose.”
As Babonneau spoke, Gisèle wiped away her tears, her silence speaking volumes about the emotional toll this trial has had on her.
