The daughter of the convicted rapist Dominique Pelicot, whose trial horrified France because it detailed his years of abusing his spouse with strangers, filed a police criticism towards him this week that accused him of drugging and raping her as effectively.
Mr. Pelicot was found guilty final December of drugging and raping his spouse, Gisèle Pelicot, for a few decade, and welcoming dozens of males to their house in southern France to rape her together with him. Fifty different males had been additionally discovered responsible, largely for raping or sexually assaulting Ms. Pelicot whereas she was in a deeply sedated state.
The four-month trial ignited deep dialogue within the nation about rape tradition, the understanding of consent and the widespread use of primary sleep and anti-anxiety medication to prey on individuals — a predation technique that in France known as chemical submission.
In the course of the trial, the Pelicots’ daughter, Caroline Darian, confronted her father twice, saying she was sure he had drugged and also raped her. Mr. Pelicot repeatedly denied that he had drugged and even touched his daughter, not to mention raped her.
Prosecutors didn’t cost Mr. Pelicot with drugging or abusing his daughter final 12 months. The criticism Ms. Darian filed this week might be examined by a prosecutor, who will resolve whether or not there’s sufficient proof or to not indict Mr. Pelicot on new expenses.
Mr. Pelicot was additionally discovered responsible final 12 months of taking intimate images of his daughter and daughters-in-law. Investigators discovered about 20,000 images and movies investigators on his computer systems and onerous drives that documented most of the lots of of rapes he orchestrated on his sedated spouse, and which allowed the police to determine different rapists.
There have been additionally pictures taken at completely different instances that captured his daughter sleeping in underwear that she mentioned was not hers, with the covers pulled again and the lights on.
His explanations for the images modified through the trial. He variously mentioned that he had not taken the images, that he didn’t imagine they had been of her, and that he had taken them as a result of he was being blackmailed.
Ms. Darian, who goes by a pen title, had hoped that her accusations throughout final 12 months’s trial can be examined intimately, she mentioned in an interview this week.
“I hoped to get the reality,” she mentioned. “That by no means occurred.”
She added, “I can’t cease there. It’s not precept, as a result of my case was not investigated because it ought to have been.”
Florence Rault, a lawyer employed by Ms. Darian to work on a brand new case, mentioned there was proof that had not been examined by investigators in final 12 months’s trial.
“There are parts that had been completely not dropped at gentle, that’s very clear. They erased a part of the file,” she mentioned.
Mr. Pelicot’s lawyer, Béatrice Zavarro, mentioned she was not shocked however had but to see the criticism that Ms. Rault mentioned contained 10 expenses together with rape, tried rape, sexual assault and drugging somebody towards their will.
Already France’s most notorious sexual predator, Mr. Pelicot has been indicted for two other cold cases: the rape and homicide of a then 23-year-old lady in 1991, and the tried rape of a then 19-year-old lady in 1999.
Each girls had been actual property brokers attacked by a potential consumer utilizing a blade, and drugging them with ether whereas viewing properties. Mr. Pelicot admitted to drugging one of many girls, however denied any involvement within the homicide, in keeping with investigative paperwork learn out in court docket through the trial final 12 months.
Ségolène Le Stradic contributed reporting.
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