Cliff Notes
- David Pelicot recounts the devastating moment he learned his father, Dominique, drugged and raped his mother, Gisele, involving numerous other men in the abuse, severely impacting the family.
- Dominique Pelicot was sentenced to 20 years in prison after admitting to his crimes, with the case prompting a broader discussion on rape culture in France.
- Gisele Pelicot has been hailed as a national hero for her bravery in waiving anonymity and advocating for victims of sexual violence, inspiring support from many across the country.
Son of French rapist Dominique Pelicot relives moment he discovered the father he loved was a manipulative monster | World News
His father is one of France’s worst sex offenders, his mother a national hero.
As the friendly, smartly dressed man sits in front of me, waiting for our interview to begin, it is impossible to understand the pain and anguish which has haunted David Pelicot and his family over the last four years.
“He was my father, but he’s not anymore,” David says. “Today he’s a monster.”
David is the eldest son of Gisele Pelicot, the woman at the centre of a mass rape trial who became a household name after waiving her right to anonymity and bravely declaring that “shame must change sides”.
His father, Dominique, admitted repeatedly drugging and raping Gisele between 2011 and 2020, and inviting dozens of other men to their home in southern France to do the same.
As strangers attacked his sedated wife, Dominique filmed them, building up a vile library of abuse.