"Facing the Inconceivable: Caroline Darian's Battle for Justice After Family Horror"

In an exclusive interview, Caroline Darian recounts the devastating impact of her father Dominique Pelicot's crimes on her life and emphasizes the urgent need to address the under-discussed issue of chemical submission, aiming to empower and support survivors.

Caroline Darian vividly remembers the moment her life changed forever—a phone call from her mother revealing that her father, Dominique Pelicot, had been abusing her mother for over a decade. "At that moment, I lost what was a normal life," Darian said, now aged 46, reflecting on the emotional earthquake she experienced when learning about the drugging and subsequent rapes her father orchestrated. The shocking revelation, which occurred in November 2020, shattered Darian's perception of her family and her father.

In December 2020, Dominique Pelicot was sentenced to 20 years in prison after his horrific crimes surfaced during a three-and-a-half month trial, which also led to the imprisonment of 50 men he lured into raping his unconscious wife, Gisèle. The investigation began after a seemingly routine incident of upskirting at a supermarket unveiled a trove of disturbing images and videos on his devices that depicted his wife being preyed upon by various men.

The trial brought critical attention to the often-overlooked phenomenon of chemical submission—an insidious form of sexual assault involving drugs that can incapacitate victims, rendering them unable to resist or report their abuse. Caroline has become a fervent advocate for raising awareness about this issue, which is frequently unreported due to the difficulties victims face in recalling their experiences or even realizing that they were drugged.

As the news unfolded, Darian and her brothers rallied around their mother, who was grappling with the grave realization of having been deceived by her husband. The situation deepened for Caroline when police revealed photographs of an unconscious woman on her father's laptop; she struggled to recognize herself in the images, only to be confronted with the truth when a detective pointed out distinctive marks that matched her own.

Despite her father's ongoing denials of abuse, Caroline suspects he drugged and assaulted her too, albeit without any evidence to substantiate her claims, a reality all too familiar for many victims of sexual violence. Motivated by her family's trauma, she authored a book titled "I'll Never Call Him Dad Again," which details her experience and exposes the dangers of systemic sexual abuse in familial contexts.

Now, Darian speaks with conviction about the complexities of her identity—the daughter of both a victim and a perpetrator. "When I look back, I don’t see the father I once knew; I now see a sexual criminal," she said with clarity. While grappling with her father's actions, she finds solace and purpose in advocating for victims of chemical submission and plan to educate children on sexual safety, focusing on preventing similar traumas from occurring.

As her family begins to heal, Gisèle is recovering gradually from the toll the trial took on her, while Caroline draws strength from the support of her loved ones, including her young son. The harrowing events that unfolded in November transformed her life, but today, Caroline Darian is determined to embrace a future dedicated to justice and survivor empowerment.

For those interested, the full interview, "Pelicot Trial - The Daughter's Story," will air on Monday at 7pm on BBC 2 or can be streamed on iPlayer. Support resources are also available for those affected by the issues presented in this narrative via bbc.co.uk/actionline.