The Horrible Story of Blanche Monnier who was born into a wealthy family in France in 1849.

The Horrible Story of  Blanche Monnier who was born into a wealthy family in France in 1849. 


In 1874, when she was about 25 years old, she met an old lawyer who she wished to marry. 

But in 1875 Monnier disappeared and was not seen by anyone for over 25 years. 

During this time the lawyer died and her family were oblivious to what had happened to her—or were they... 

In 1901 the Paris Attorney General received a letter that read: 

"Monsieur Attorney General: I have the honor to inform you of an exceptionally serious occurrence. 

I speak of a spinster who is locked up in Madame Monnier's house, half-starved and living on a putrid litter for the past twenty-five years – in a word, in her own filth.

The author of this letter is unknown to this day.

When the police investigated the house they came across an appalling sight in the attic.

 It was Blanch Monnier starving and living in her own waste. 

The policeman who discovered her explained what he witnessed: 

"The unfortunate woman was lying completely naked on a rotten straw mattress.

 All around her was formed a sort of crust made from excrement, fragments of meat, vegetables, fish and rotten bread... We also saw oyster shells, and bugs running across Mademoiselle Monnier's bed. 

The air was so unbreathable, the odor given off by the room was so rank, that it was impossible for us to stay any longer to proceed with our investigation.

It turned out that Monnier's mother had disproved of her daughter's feelings for the old lawyer because he was penniless.

 She had then locked her in the attic and, with the help of her son, had kept her there for quarter of a century. 

When Monnier was discovered she weighed just 55 lb.

The mother died just weeks later and her son was acquitted as there was no "duty to rescue" in the penal code in 1901.

It is sad that Monnier, who suffered horrificly until her rescue, also suffered after her rescue.

 She lived for another 12 years and suffered from various physical and mental problems.

 She was admitted to a psychiatric hospital where she died in 1913.

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