Gisele Pelicot’s son relives moment he discovered his father was a monster

Published

6 days ago

March 24, 2025

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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.

His crimes were exposed by chance in 2020 after he was caught filming up women’s skirts in a local supermarket.

When police seized his devices, they uncovered 20,000 meticulously organised videos and images of abuse.

Gisele was the unconscious victim in many of them.

On 2 November 2020, police showed her what they had found.

After seeing herself violated in the most hideous ways, she had to call her children to tell them what their father had done.

“It’s a moment that will remain etched in my memory forever,” David says, as he recounts the evening which would destroy his family.

He remembers his wife answering the phone, speaking to his mother and turning pale before handing him the call. His mother gently asked him to go somewhere quiet, where he could be alone.

She then explained she had been repeatedly raped by his father and dozens of other men.

“What she told me was like a tsunami,” David says.

“I felt so many emotions rising within me… and then the nausea which had been mounting during the entire conversation reached a peak.

“I hung up the phone and it felt like the floor gave way under my feet, and I felt sick. I went to the bathroom and threw up.”

Just like his mother, the 50-year-old is dignified and clear as he relives the moment he discovered the father he loved and trusted was a manipulative monster.

Dominique Pelicot, the affable guy who people liked, was a predator who carefully planned his crimes, crushing sleep-inducing drugs into his unsuspecting wife’s food before allowing strangers to abuse and degrade her.

No day was off limits; Gisele was assaulted on her birthday, Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Eve.

“The moment we were told that she had been abused by more than 50 men was very difficult to hear, because this man, Dominique Pelicot, was the backbone of the family,” David continues.

“He’d taught me to respect women, so when I heard what he’d done to our own mother, as the eldest son, I was filled with anger and total incomprehension.”

Throughout our conversation, David always uses Dominique’s full name.

He explains it’s his way of moving forward and grieving.

In December, Dominique Pelicot was sentenced to 20 years in jail after admitting his crimes.

During the trial, his lawyer argued he had a split personality which enabled him to be a seemingly perfect husband and loving father while secretly committing hideous assaults.

The question of how he had managed to trick them all clearly plays on David’s mind.

He says he believes Dominique is a Jekyll and Hyde type character who can be kind one minute, then depraved and cruel another.

The trial heard as well as the attacks on Gisele, Dominique put up cameras to secretly film and photograph his son’s wives, including one who was pregnant.

The cameras were hidden in their bathrooms or rooms in his home.

He then shared naked photos of them online.

He also took photos of his adult daughter, Caroline, semi-naked while she was asleep.

Dominique has always denied assaulting her, but she is terrified she was another of his victims.

David tells me he also believes his sister was abused and pledges to help her in her fight for justice.

After police exposed Dominique’s crimes, David cut him off. But just before the trial started his father sent him a letter.

“The first thing I asked myself was why is he writing to me? Is he writing to apologise? To ask for forgiveness? Or to try to manipulate me?” he says.

“So, I read his letter carefully, but quite honestly, I tore it up and threw it in the bin.

“Personally, I will never forgive him.”

There’s only one question he wants to ask his father – why?

Why did he do this to his wife, to his children and his grandchildren?

Gisele isn’t believed to be Dominique’s only victim but David doesn’t believe his father will ever tell the truth about his crimes.

“I have no doubt he’ll die in prison, but I’m convinced that he’ll take many of his secrets to the grave,” he says.

While there’s no doubt Dominique was the conductor in this depraved orchestra of abuse, 50 other men were also found guilty of raping or sexually assaulting Gisele.

Around nine men are appealing but the case has forced France to look at its rape culture.

Inspired by Gisele’s bravery in waiving her anonymity and allowing images of herself being raped to be shown in open court, tens of thousands of people joined demonstrations against sexual violence around the country.

Many held photos or drawings of Gisele.

Her courage has seen her named as one of Time Magazine’s women of the year, while a bold sketch of her with the words “No more shame” was emblazoned on the cover of German Vogue.

I ask David how he sees the woman who has become an icon for many?

“First and foremost, she’s our mum. She’s also our children’s grandmother, but today, and for the rest of her life, she’ll be a heroine,” he says.

For all the strength and dignity Gisele and her children have shown, it’s unclear if they will ever be able to heal from the damage inflicted upon them.

David explains his mother is trying to slowly rebuild herself but acknowledges that the family endured “unspeakable pain” throughout the trial.

“We must continue to live, give meaning to our lives and not forget that in the world, there are other women who cannot speak and who absolutely must be helped,” he says.

At the end of the interview, he asks our all-female team how we think toxic masculinity and rape culture can be tackled.

He listens intently to our responses and is clearly passionate about trying to find ways to educate young men and help build a safer society for women.

He is impatiently waiting for the government to change the law around sexual consent.

He has seen the darkest side of humanity and is desperately seeking the light.

He says he found it in the crowds of cheering women who came to support his mother at court, crying with joy when the verdicts were read out.

The case exposed unrepentant evil but also “gave immense hope to all women who suffer sexual violence,” David concludes. “Not only bad came from this case. There was also a lot of positivity; today people are free to speak out.”

World

Myanmar earthquake: Footage shows buildings collapse, as more than 1,600 killed and 3,408 injured

Published

18 hours ago

March 29, 2025

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Myanmar earthquake: Footage shows buildings collapse, as more than 1,600 killed and 3,408 injured

The number of people killed in Myanmar following a powerful earthquake has risen to 1,644, and 3,408 others injured, according to local reports.

Local reports also said a further 139 people are missing across the country.

It comes as dramatic footage shows the moment a building several stories high collapsed into rubble in Mandalay.

Survivors in the city dug with their bare hands in a desperate attempt to find trapped people.

It struck at around 12.50pm local time (6.20am UK time) on Friday at a shallow depth of six miles.

The quake’s epicentre was about 10 miles from the second city of Mandalay.

There were also aftershocks, with one measuring a strong 6.4 magnitude 12 minutes later.

The King sent a message of condolence. “I know that the people of Myanmar continue to endure so much hardship and tragedy in your lives, and I have long admired your extraordinary resilience and spirit,” he said in a statement.

“At this most difficult and heartbreaking of times, my wife and I send our deepest possible sympathy to all those who have suffered the profound tragedy of losing their loved ones, their homes and their precious livelihoods.”

The first major disaster to suffer the brunt of Trump’s aid cuts

Dominic Waghorn

International affairs editor

@DominicWaghorn

This will be the first natural disaster to happen after President Donald Trump shut down America’s international aid agency with potentially devastating consequences.

The impact in the aftermath of this earthquake is likely to be severe. Trump’s decision to shut down the US Agency for International Development was already reported to have decimated US aid operations in Myanmar. Its global impact is hard to overstate. American aid had provided 40% of developmental aid worldwide.

Yesterday, Trump promised Myanmar aid for the earthquake. In reality, his administration has fired most of the people most experienced at organising that help and shut down the means to provide it.

The last of its staff were ironically only let go yesterday, even as the president was making lofty promises to help.

The US State Department says it has maintained a team of experts in the country. But former USAID officials say the system is now ‘in shambles’ without the wherewithal to conduct search and rescue or transfer aid.

Read the full story here.

China‘s President Xi Jinping has also sent his condolences to Myanmar’s leader Min Aung Hlaing after the earthquake, and, according to the Chinese embassy in Myanmar, they have spoken on the phone.

A Chinese rescue team arrived in Yangon, Myanmar’s former capital, early on Saturday while Russia and the US have also offered to provide humanitarian assistance and relief.

Neighbouring Thailand was also affected by the quake, leaving at least seven people dead, eight injured and 47 missing.

Buildings in five of Myanmar‘s cities and towns collapsed, along with a railway bridge and a road bridge on the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway, state media reported. A dam has also burst.

The control tower Naypyitaw, airport, which serves the capital city, has collapsed meaning runways cannot be used.

Recalling the moment they left their home in Mandalay, one resident said they “ran out of the house as everything started shaking”.

They said they “witnessed a five-storey building collapse in front of [their] eyes”, adding, “everyone in my town is out on the road and no one dares to go back inside buildings”.

The natural disaster – the largest earthquake in this region in nearly 80 years – comes as the country is in the grip of a civil war.

Search efforts continued on Saturday morning in Bangkok as the city’s governor, Chadchart Sittipunt, said people were believed to be alive in the wreckage at three construction sites, including one where a partially built high-rise collapsed.

Most of the city’s metro and light rail resumed normal operation on Saturday morning, according to their operators.

Major General Zaw Min Tun, a spokesperson for the military government, told MRTV that blood was in high demand in earthquake-hit areas, as he urged donors to contact hospitals as soon as possible.

United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said UN staff were working to gather information on the number of people impacted by the earthquake and the scope of the humanitarian needs.

The ruling military junta said a state of emergency has been declared in Sagaing Region, Mandalay Region, Magway Region and northeastern Shan State, Nay Pyi Taw Council Area, and Bago Region.

“The government has ordered a rapid investigation of the damage in these areas,” the junta added in a statement.

“We will carry out relief and relief operations promptly. We will also work to provide necessary disaster relief and humanitarian assistance.”

The Red Cross has said its attempts to reach Mandalay and Sagaing regions and the southern Shan state are made more challenging by downed power lines.

China will provide 100 million yuan (£10.63m) worth of aid to Myanmar, including tents, blankets, emergency medical kits, food and water.

The first batch is set to arrive on 31 March, according to the Chinese embassy’s Facebook page.

World

The Myanmar quake is the first major disaster to suffer the brunt of Donald Trump’s devastating cuts

Published

18 hours ago

March 29, 2025

admin

The Myanmar quake is the first major disaster to suffer the brunt of Donald Trump's devastating cuts

This will be the first natural disaster to happen after President Donald Trump shut down America’s international aid agency with potentially devastating consequences.

The impact in the aftermath of this earthquake is likely to be severe. Trump’s decision to shut down the US Agency for International Development was already reported to have decimated US aid operations in Myanmar. Its global impact is hard to overstate. American aid had provided 40% of developmental aid worldwide.

Yesterday, Trump promised Myanmar aid for the earthquake. In reality, his administration has fired most of the people most experienced at organising that help and shut down the means to provide it.

The last of its staff were ironically only let go yesterday even as the president was making lofty promises to help.

Latest updates on earthquake

As they count the cost of this massive earthquake, the people of Myanmar will be hoping, though, for a silver lining, that the disaster may hasten the fall of their despised dictator.

The catastrophe comes at a very bad time for General Min Aung Hlaing, who seized power in a coup four years ago.

The Myanmar junta is losing a civil war against an array of opposition forces, ceding territory now largely kettled into the country’s big cities. And some of its worst damage has been done in its urban strongholds.

The disaster is so bad that Hlaing has broken his government’s self-imposed isolation to appeal for help from the outside world. But the country’s inaccessibility will remain a huge obstacle to aid efforts.

Myanmar is a deeply superstitious country. The generals who have ruled it since the end of colonial rule have consulted astrologers and use talismanic objects and animals, including white elephants, to protect their grip on power.

But earthquakes are thought to portend great change in Myanmar and sometimes the fall of leaders. That in itself may accelerate the toppling of its hated junta.

It remains powerful, supplied by ally China with advanced weaponry. It has used fighter jets to wreak havoc and carnage on opponents and civilians as the civil war has intensified.

But its enemies are gaining strength too, improvising with drones and other tactics to maintain momentum against a regime that lost all legitimacy. They will be encouraged in the belief that this disaster will bring closer their day of victory.

World

JD Vance hits out at Denmark during Greenland visit after Donald Trump says US ‘needs’ the island

Published

18 hours ago

March 29, 2025

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JD Vance hits out at Denmark during Greenland visit after Donald Trump says US 'needs' the island

JD Vance has told Denmark it has “not done a good job” with Greenland during a visit to the territory – as President Donald Trump repeated his call for the US to take over the island.

Vice President Vance, his wife Usha and other senior US officials arrived at an American military base in Greenland, the semi-autonomous territory that has been a part of Denmark for more than 600 years.

Follow latest: Key takeaways from Vance’s speech in Greenland

“Our message to Denmark is very simple: you have not done a good job by the people of Greenland,” Mr Vance said.

“You have underinvested in the people of Greenland, and you have underinvested in the security architecture of this incredible, beautiful landmass filled with incredible people.

“We need to ensure that America is leading in the Arctic.”

Shortly before Mr Vance spoke from Greenland on Friday, Mr Trump continued his threats of taking over the territory, saying: “We need Greenland, very importantly, for international security.

“We have to have Greenland. It’s not a question of you think we can do without it – we can’t.”

Lars-Christian Brask, deputy speaker of the Danish parliament, told Sky News that Mr Vance was “not welcome” by Greenlanders on his visit.

“It’s a NATO country demanding a piece of another NATO country, which is highly unusual and there is a lack of respect,” he said.

The one-day visit to the US Space Force outpost at Pituffik – located on the northwest coast of the territory – has avoided violating potential diplomatic taboos of a state sending a delegation to another country, without an invitation.

The trip had been scaled back after locals were angered that the original itinerary was made without consulting them – particularly in light of Mr Trump’s repeated claims that the US should control Greenland.

Speaking to soldiers at the US base, Mr Vance claimed Denmark – and Europe by extension – has failed to protect the region.

He said: “This place, this base, this surrounding area, is less secure than it was 30-40 years ago, as some of our allies have not kept up…

“Europe (has) not kept pace… with military spending, and Denmark has not kept pace in devoting the resources necessary to keep this base, to keep our troops, and in my view to keep the people of Greenland safe from a lot of aggressive incursions from Russia, China, and other nations.”

Mr Vance said Mr Trump was “a president of peace”, adding: “We respect the self-determination of Greenlanders, we believe in the self-determination of the population of Greenland.”

Asked if plans have been drafted to use military force to take over Greenland, he indicated the White House planned to wait for the people of the territory to vote for self-determination before acting.

“What the president has said… is that we need to have more of a position in Greenland,” he added.

Greenland is the world’s largest island, with a population of 57,000, and is also a founding member of NATO.

Straddling the Arctic circle between the US, Russia and Europe, the island offers a unique geopolitical advantage that America has eyed for more than 150 years.

Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was not surprised the US wants control of Greenland given its long-time interest in the mineral-rich territory.

“It can look surprising only at first glance and it would be wrong to believe that this is some sort of extravagant talk by the current US administration,” Mr Putin said.