Content warning: This article contains graphic details of sexual assault.

The village of Mazan in southern France may appear to be an unremarkable, peaceful locale. However, beneath its serene façade lies a history of unimaginable horror perpetrated by one of its former residents, Dominique Pelicot.

What began as a seemingly normal family life for his wife, Gisèle, devolved into a decade-long nightmare of drugging, rape, and exploitation, with Pelicot enlisting the help of dozens of men he recruited online.

The story, brought to light in a recent 60 Minutes interview with their daughter, Caroline Darian, reveals the depths of Pelicot's depravity and the lasting impact on his family and community.

It also delves into a newly launched investigation, into the rape and murder of estate agent Sophie Narme in 1991. The case is eerily similar to another that Pelicot is allegedly involved with.

Here's what we know.

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What did Dominique Pelicot do?

Pélicot is serving a 20-year prison term after he was found guilty in December for the horrific sexual abuse of his now ex-wife, Gisèle Pélicot. He drugged her repeatedly, allowing as many as 50 men to rape her while unconscious.

One of the most chilling aspects of Pelicot's scheme was his calculated manipulation of Gisèle's food. He worked out exactly how to drug his wife with the 'perfect cocktail'.

Knowing her fondness for garlic and salt, he would use the seasoning as a cover, while lacing her food with sleeping and anxiety pills, ensuring she fell into a deep, comatose sleep.

"Once he put it in her beer, and that turned the beer green. And so, she noticed and he took the beer away and threw it in in the sink and, and never did that again.

"And, and so, it took him a while, he eventually, you know, had the perfect cocktail."

It's one of many frightening details that underscore the insidious nature of his betrayal.

"My mother lived a nightmare," Caroline told 60 Minutes.

Adding to the unsettling case is the proximity of Pelicot's accomplices.

More than seventy men participated in the abuse of Gisele Pelicot — and many lived within an hour's drive of Mazan. This geographic closeness shatters any notion that Pelicot's actions were the work of a fringe group operating on the periphery of society.

Instead, it paints a disturbing picture of everyday men, living seemingly ordinary lives, who were willing to engage in the most heinous acts.

As Jeantet notes, "I don't think there's anything specific about this part of France... I think this would have happened anywhere Dominique Pelicot would have gone."

It presents an unnerving truth about how common such predatory behaviour is.

Gisèle's daughter Caroline told 60 Minutes that she believes no woman was safe within their family home.

She revealed that her father planted hidden cameras in the bathroom, secretly recording his sons' wives, as they undressed and showered.

"We were all photographed by Dominique, without knowing," Caroline said. "It's terrible to say or even to know now that all of those pictures are still on the internet. How many men can see us? It will never end for us."

Caroline suspects that she, too, may have been a victim, after photos of her were found in her dad's depraved archives.

"I was shown the photographs, you know, at the police station. I'm almost naked and I wear some pants, the white pants, which is not mine," she explained.

"I'm not guessing, I know that I was drugged and probably, even worse," she alleged. "I don't sleep like that. I know myself. There's no way someone can enter into my bedroom for, you know, taking those pictures if I'm not drugged.

Pelicot's reign of terror finally came to an end, through a seemingly unrelated act of perversion. He was caught upskirting women at a local supermarket, a crime that ultimately unravelled his carefully constructed facade.

The police, acting on a tip from a vigilant security guard, launched an investigation that would expose the full extent of his crimes.

It was only then, through the discovery of thousands of photos and videos on Pelicot's devices, that Gisèle learned the horrifying truth about her husband's double life.

"I really hate him for everything that he's done to my mother, but also to me. And how many women? How many other women?" Caroline said.

"I'm not recognised as a victim and it's so difficult to cope with that reality. You know, I know my mum is recognised as a victim, but I don't have the answer, I never get the answer."

Dominique Pelicot was found guilty late last year, along with 50 other men. The 72-year-old will now spend the maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars.

But the women in the Pelicot family may not be his only victims.

Dominique Pelicot's alleged crimes.

While Pelicot was being prosecuted for the horrific abuse of his wife, police became aware of another case.

Pelicot's DNA was linked to a woman who was sexually assaulted in 1999, and authorities are currently investigating potential connections to a woman who was murdered in 1991.

After Pelicot's initial arrest in 2020, investigators in Nanterre, France, reopened both cases.

While working as an estate agent in 1999, a woman known only as Estella B claimed she survived a rape attempt in the Paris suburb Sein-et-Marne.

The then-19-year-old told police that the attacker had walked into her office and said he urgently wanted to view a top-floor rental flat, giving a false name and address.

Once in the flat, Estella alleges she was pushed to the ground on her stomach before having her hands bound with rope. She said her mouth and nose were covered with a fabric soaked in ether — a liquid that can have an anaesthetic effect.

"It smelled very strong… it made my head turn," she told investigators. "I was a prisoner in my body and felt I couldn't move."

Estella said the attacker removed some of her clothes and held a knife to her neck. But the 19-year-old fought back before locking herself in a cupboard, and the man left.

At the time of the attack, Pelicot was 46 and had previously worked as an estate agent himself.

In 2010, DNA evidence from the scene showed a match with Pelicot, but for unknown reasons, it did not make it into the case file. When the case was re-opened following his arrest, police noticed Pelicot's DNA matched blood found on Estella's shoe.

Upon questioning, Pelicot denied involvement, until he was presented with the DNA evidence. He then admitted to attempted rape, but denied using a knife as a weapon.

Pelicot told authorities he had "an impulse" when he saw the woman, but when he took her trousers off he realised she was the same age as his daughter and felt "blocked".

While Pelicot still hasn't been charged over the 1999 sexual attack (the statute of limitations in France means too much time has lapsed, so the case is essentially closed), Police noticed similarities between this case and a cold case from eight years earlier — the rape and murder of estate agent Sophie Narme in 1991.

According to French publication Le Monde, Narme was a 23-year-old estate agent in Paris who was raped and killed while showing an apartment to an unknown man.

The attacker is alleged to have choked her, forced her onto her stomach, made her inhale a chemical, and used a bladed weapon.

The DNA of her killer was lost by police and the 72-year-old has vehemently denied any involvement in this case. He remains under formal investigation.

For Caroline, the revelation of her father's crimes has been a journey of immense pain and disillusionment.

She describes her father as having been a supportive and trusted figure in her life, a man she believed held values and respect. The discovery of his true nature has left her feeling betrayed and as if she was "raised by someone who I do not know."

Despite the profound impact of her father's actions, Caroline has chosen to speak out, driven by a desire to expose the truth and to honour her mother's resilience. She wants the world to know Gisèle's story, not as a tale of victimhood, but as a message of hope and empowerment.

"I don't know it's a question of courage. You have to move forward and to help other people," she shared.

When asked what she would say if she was sitting in front of her father, she said: "You're going to die alone. I don't love you anymore."

Despite enduring unimaginable abuse, Gisèle Pelicot has emerged as a global icon, using her story to raise awareness about sexual violence and to advocate for victims' rights.

"My mum became an icon, but my father is a criminal," said Caroline, describing it as a "crushing double-burden."

As he serves his twenty-year prison sentence, Dominique Pelicot's actions have left an indelible scar on the village of Mazan, on his family, and on all those who have been touched by this horrific story.

"I'm not sad anymore. I don't even know if I'm still angry. But I'm more determined," said Caroline, who said helping other people is now "part of my life mission."

"This gives me a lot of peace and satisfaction."

Feature image: Police/Getty.