An invisible scourge finally revealed in broad daylight

For a long time, chemical submission has passed under radars. Including those who are concerned with the abuse inflicted on women, such as director Andrea Rawlins-Gaston. “Despite twenty years of work on sexist and sexual violence, I was completely deaf and blind to chemical submission. It was however before my eyes, in many cases that I have dealt with, of testimonies that I collected. I realized that it is a system, an operating mode as much as the best kept secrecy of the rapists. »»

She owes this journey to the awareness of Caroline Darian, Dominique Pelicot’s daughter (convicted of having raped his wife and giving her to strangers), who has just filed a complaint against him, of having sedated her and undoubtedly raped for ten years.

Drogate a person without his knowledge

Like the documentary maker, the general public had only heard of chemical submission before 2021. This singular form of violence consists in druging a person without his knowledge in order to abuse him. The victim is immobilized in his body or has no memory.

In the case of babies, children or the elderly, the authors are mostly relatives who want to “just” have peace. Some discovered this practice with the hashtag #Metoo-GHB, others through the #Mendorspas, Caroline Darian, or the Pelicot association. From now on, this scourge is identified. A first victory, even if the daughter of Gisèle Pelicot considers in the work she has just published (1) that the judges “did not understand the importance of this crime weapon”.

Many victims ignore each other

From her click, Andrea Rawlins-Gaston fired a documentary hardship (2), in which Caroline Darian testifies alongside seven other victims. Seven, out of thousands. “Today, we do not have an identification circuit other than complaint deposits. But with three years of hindsight, I can say that we are far beyond the hundred cases clearly recognized each year, “she explained at the end of 2024. Which made this barbarism” a phenomenon still largely underestimated “.

The reasons are multiple. Due to amnesia, many victims ignore each other. Others, having clues, doubt what they may have undergone. But even in the event of intimate certainties, 95 % have no evidence to support it. Some give up complaint. And when they start procedures, police and doctors, not being trained to detect this chemical enslavement, rarely communicate the procedures to be carried out.

The attackers are known at 43 % of their victim

On the side of political decision-makers, the interest in this public health problem has emerged since the mission entrusted in 2024 to deputy Sandrine Josso, herself poisoned by a colleague. As for received ideas, they persist. The GHB, for example, called the rapist’s drug, is only used in 5 % of cases. The attackers – known at 43 % of their victim – divert the drugs from the pharmacy cabinet: anxiolytics, sleeping pills, antiepileptics, antiallergic … An observation drawn up by Leila Chaouachi, founder of the reference center on attacks facilitated by substances (3), which directs people suspecting chemical and supports professionals.

As for the facts, one in two individuals remember nothing. Others, depending on the products used, remain awake without being able to move. “I am locked in my body,” says Renald in the film produced by Andrea Rawlins-Gaston. Thirty years after his rape, his ordeal and the words of his rapist remain: “You see, I told you that I would have you. “Which echo those of Caroline Darian:” Chemical submission is the ultimate stage of male domination “or Céline, attacked by a superior:” (drug someone) is to reduce it to nothing, bring it back to an object. “

Long -term fight

The press is now investigating to demonstrate the magnitude of this scourge. At the end of December 2024, German journalists Isabell Beer and Isabel Ströh shared the fruit of one year of infiltration on sons of Telegram messaging discussions. One of them counted, at that time, more than 73,000 users of all nationalities. They exchanged sedation methods for rape and sexual assault there.

With sometimes sharing photos and videos – some live – their crimes. Other digital channels spreading the same content surely. This has long been the case with the Coco.gg site, closed in June 2024 by justice, on which Dominique Pelicot recruited his wife’s rapists. Now that society has become aware of the existence of chemical submission, it remains to stop the latter. Another long -term fight.

(1) For you to remember. After the Mazan rape trial, the fight for all the victims of chemical submission,, Ed. JC Lattès.

(2) Chemical submission. So that shame change campon France.tv until July 27

(3) crafs, information: 01 40 05 42 70, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.