I'll Never Call Him Dad Again: Turning Our Family Trauma of Sexual Assault and Chemical Submission into a Collective Fight / From the daughter of Gisèle Pelicot

Summary

The trial of Dominique Pelicot captured the world’s attention. Behind the haunting details of Pelicot’s unthinkable crimes are a mother and daughter who were forced to rebuild their lives.

In November 2020, Caroline Darian received a call from her mother. Her father was in police custody. The seizure of his computer equipment revealed the unthinkable: Since 2011, he had drugged his wife before handing her over, in a state of unconsciousness, to dozens of men from all ages and walks of life, allowing them to sexually assault her.

With exceptional courage, Darian recounts the earth-shattering discovery that her own father is capable of the worst. But more importantly, she shares the remarkable story of her mother, Gisèle, and how she carried on living thanks to the unconditional support from her three children, without self-pity, while learning to manage all of the things her husband once took care of. Caroline shares how her mother managed to maintain her joie de vivre in circumstances few could imagine.

Gisèle won acclaim from around the world after she opted for a public trial, one in which Caroline herself has testified, turning the tables. The shame is no longer borne by the victims in silence but directed, at last, to the abusers. Together, through their campaign #MedorsPas: Stop Chemical Submission: Don’t Put Me Under, mother and daughter reveal another side to the violence committed against women, as they bravely transform their private trauma into a collective fight.