An association founded by the daughter of Gisèle Pelicot, who was drugged by her ex-husband and raped by him and dozens of other men, has launched an awareness campaign on chemical submission.
The campaign, launched by the association M’endors pas (Don't put me to sleep), founded by Caroline Darian, features Pelicot, who was sedated by her former husband, who raped her and recruited dozens of strangers online to do the same over nearly a decade.
In the campaign film, several people are asked to "describe what happened" with their stepfather, partner or colleague, and all show distress at not being able to answer. A message then appears on screen: "There are crimes that cannot be recounted, because they cannot be remembered."
In the final scene, Pelicot delivers a message, urging potential victims to contact the reference centre for substance-facilitated assaults, Crafs.
Chemical submission was not very well known in France until 2023, when lawmaker Sandrine Josso filed a complaint against Senator Joël Guerriau, whom she accused of drugging her with the intention of sexually assaulting her.
He has since been found guilty and sentenced to four years in prison.
A year after the accusations, Pelicot’s experience brought the practice fully into the public eye.
Her ex-husband was sentenced to 20 years' in prison in December 2024, following a trial that she insisted be held in public, and which drew worldwide attention.
"This fight is Caroline's, it is mine, but above all it is now the whole of society's. The authorities must take up this issue, which is truly a scourge affecting everyone," Pelicot told France Inter public radio on Monday, the launch of the campaign that runs on television, in the press, on social media and on billboards through 18 October.
Pelicot said she was "very proud" of her daughter and "deeply grateful for everything she has done".
"When you launch a campaign on this scale, having my mother's endorsement is an incredibly strong message," said Darian, who filed a complaint against her father accusing him of sexual abuse
The campaign is intended to send the message that "if you have any doubts, you must investigate. Just because you have no memory of something doesn't mean there are no traces".
The campaign has the support of the Minister for Gender Equality Aurore Bergé who called chemical submission “an insidious form of violence," adding that the perpetrator is often someone known to the victim.
(with AFP)
