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The Daily

'The Interview': The Woman at the Center of the French Rape Trial That Shocked the World

February 14, 2026 • 1h 3m

Summary

⏱️ 16 min read

Overview

Gisèle Pelicot sits down for her first interview with American media to discuss the horrific abuse she endured for years at the hands of her husband Dominique Pelicot, who drugged and orchestrated her repeated rape by dozens of men. In this deeply moving conversation, she reflects on her 50-year marriage built on a lie, the devastating moment she learned the truth, her courageous decision to make the trial public, and her remarkable journey toward healing and even finding love again.

Life Before the Horror: The House of Happiness

Gisèle describes her seemingly idyllic retirement in Mazan, France, where she and her husband created what they called 'the house of happiness' filled with grandchildren, sunshine, and joy. She reflects on meeting Dominique as a teenager, their young marriage born from love and a desire to escape difficult family situations, and the fifty years she spent with a man she believed was kind and caring. This foundation of trust and normalcy makes the later revelations all the more devastating.

  • Gisèle retired at 60 to Mazan in southeast France, expecting a happy retirement with swimming pools, grandchildren, and the joy of the Provence countryside
  • She met Dominique Pelicot in July 1971 when they were both 19 - he was a shy boy with a difficult family life who had experienced childhood trauma including rape
  • Despite his traumatic past, she only knew him as a kind, athletic, caring man over 50 years - everyone in their circle liked him
  • She describes their early marriage with little money but genuine love, and her desire to start a family and live happily
" I only knew a kind and caring man, which is terrifying. "

The Blackouts and Medical Gaslighting

Starting in 2011, Gisèle began experiencing mysterious memory lapses and blackouts that would eventually be diagnosed as early-onset Alzheimer's. She describes the terrifying confusion of waking up with no memory of the previous night, finding strange stains on her clothing, and even asking Dominique directly if he was drugging her - only to have him break down in tears and make her apologize. Throughout this period, he carefully controlled her medical care, accompanying her to doctors who misdiagnosed her condition while he continued the abuse.

  • The first rape occurred July 23, 2011 - Gisèle briefly woke up confused but was too sedated to stay conscious
  • In September 2013, she discovered bleach-like stains on her pants and asked Dominique point-blank: 'You're not drugging me, are you?' He cried and made her feel guilty for asking
  • She was misdiagnosed with mini-strokes and early Alzheimer's disease, making her believe she was dying young like her mother
  • Dominique accompanied her to all medical appointments, including gynecology visits, to maintain control over the narrative
" My subconscious asked the question, but as if I were joking. In other words, my subconscious had detected something, but I buried it and never mentioned it again. But in fact, I was right. "
" How can you treat the love of your life this way? It's unthinkable. "

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