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.
How the Pelicot trial unfolded
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.
Gisele Pelicot arriving in court on the day of the verdicts. Pic: Reuters
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.”
Read more:
How Gisele Pelicot went from victim to feminist hero
Inside the depraved mind of ‘career criminal’ Dominique
David (left) and his brother Florian (centre) with their mother Gisele during their father’s trial. Pic: Reuters
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.
David Pelicot tells Sky News’ Siobhan Robbins his family has suffered ‘unspeakable pain’
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.
A sketch of Dominique Pelicot during the trial last year. Pic: Reuters
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.”
David and his sister Caroline Darian, who has accused their father of raping her. Pic: Reuters
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.
The men convicted of raping Gisele Pelicot
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.
People holding placards as they gather in support of Gisele Pelicot outside court. Pic: Reuters
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.
‘I never regretted waiving anonymity’, says Gisele Pelicot
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.”
