She stood beside her mother through unimaginable trauma. Their relationship paid the ultimate price.

This story discusses sexual assault.

For almost a decade, Gisèle Pelicot had no idea her then-husband was drugging her and inviting dozens of men to the house they shared to rape her.

Dominique Pelicot's crimes, which spanned from 2011 to 2020, were fully uncovered only after his arrest for secretly filming up women's skirts in public.

During the investigation, police discovered a cache of around 20,000 explicit photos and videos.

He had fastidiously filmed and documented his crimes against Gisèle, his wife, a French mother and grandmother.

Listen: To the case that shocked France. Post continues below.

Investigators also found compromising photos of their daughter, Caroline Darian, in a deleted folder called "my daughter naked."

This included images of her asleep in her underwear. A pair she did not recognise.

While her brothers and husband continually pleaded with Dominique to explain the photos, he has never admitted to any sexual abuse of his daughter.

Caroline refers to herself about the "forgotten victim" in this case.

She's filed her own legal complaint against Dominique, which the French court is currently considering if they will prosecute.

Gisèle Pelicot faced her abuser in court daily. Image: Getty.

Gisèle was forced to face her trauma in vivid detail last year, while sitting in court. She waived her legal right to anonymity and insisted on a public trial.

Caroline, 46, stood by her side, unwavering in her support.

However, Caroline and Gisèle's relationship has fractured in the wake of the highly-publicised trial.

The pair are no longer on speaking terms.

Caroline Darian and Gisele Pelicot in court on September 02, 2024 in Avignon, France. Image: Getty.

In a recent interview, Caroline claims Gisèle didn't believe she'd also been drugged and raped by Dominique.

"My mother let go of my hand in that courtroom," she told The Telegraph. "She abandoned me.

"For four years, I accompanied my mum everywhere. I supported her without ever judging her. And it wasn't always easy because she didn't want to hear what I was telling her about Dominique."

After pleading guilty, Dominique was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

The court also found 50 of Gisèle's identified attackers guilty of various charges. It's believed up to 20 perpetrators remain unidentified.

While Gisèle may have been given some semblance of justice, Caroline feels she never got any.

Caroline Darian pressed charges against her father in March 2025. Image: EPA via AAP.

She sees Gisèle as the only person who could have made Dominique confess to her allegations.

"In that courtroom, she was supposed to help me," she told The Telegraph. "And that I can never forgive her for. Never."

Caroline understands that it isn't easy for her mother. It's acknowledged in the interview that Gisèle may not be able to process any more trauma.

But Caroline still feels let down. She didn't think she'd have to face it alone.

"My mother isn't an icon," she added. "Not to me."

Caroline broke down when she heard that Dominique would not be cross-examined on the photos of her. When she saw his expression at the decision.

She couldn't take it, screaming out in the courtroom, "You'll die alone, like a dog."

Caroline explained, "You know what my mum said to me a couple of times in the courtyard outside during the trial? 'Stop making a spectacle of yourself.'

"Meanwhile, there we were, back down on earth, with all these unanswered questions — and we are damaged. Really damaged. And we are alone. That's the truth, but people have no idea."

Dominique has denied Caroline's allegations against him, which were filed in March 2025.

For now, Caroline is haunted by the memories of the last few years.

In her memoir I'll Never Call Him Dad Again, she wrote that at first, she didn't recognise her father's photos of her.

"The officer studies my face. 'I hope you don't mind me pointing this out, but don't you have a brown mole on your right cheek, just like the young woman in the photos?' I force my eyes back to the images. My vision is disturbed by a host of tiny starbursts, my ears start ringing and I jerk back in the chair," she writes, per an excerpt shared with The Times.

"The officer calls in my brother, who'd driven me to the station. Florian asks if he can see the pictures of me.

"Now we're both in a state of shock."

Feature Image: EPA via AAP.

If this has raised any issues for you, or if you just feel like you need to speak to someone, please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service.

Mamamia is a charity partner of RizeUp Australia, a national organisation that helps women, children and families move on after the devastation of domestic and family violence. Their mission is to deliver life-changing and practical support to these families when they need it most. If you would like to support their mission you can donate here.