Blanche Monnier, born in 1849, once belonged to the affluent Monnier family in France.
Her father, Charles‑Émile Monnier, was the dean of the Faculty of Letters and was considered a key member in local art community groups.
Louise Monnier, his wife, was known for her charitable work and living up to her 'high societal' status.
However, for over 25 years, the family were hiding a horrifying secret in order to keep their reputation intact.
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Aged 27, their daughter Blanche fell in love with a working-class lawyer named Victor Calmiel, who was deemed unsuitable by her mother's high standards, and was said to have been broke.
The young woman refused to end the romance and went against her mother, a decision which lead to the most unfair and disgusting of punishments.
What happened to Blanche Monnier?
With the help of her son Marcel, Louise furiously decided to lock Blanche in an attic room in 1876, without light, sanitation and human contact.
She remained tied to a filthy mattress in darkness for over 25 years, lying in her own faeces and living off scraps and leftovers to keep her alive.
The starvation-like conditions were only uncovered after an anonymous letter was sent to the Paris Attorney General.
What was in the letter to the Attorney General?
Blanche's family thought they could get away with what they were doing, telling locals that she had travelled abroad for her studies.
But then came a turning point in May 1901, when an anonymous letter reached the Paris Attorney General, alleging a serious crime within a 'well-known family'.
It 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.”
Where was Blanche Monnier found?
The poor lady was found by police after they visited the family home on Rue de la Visitation (now Rue Arthur Ranc).
They were alerted to the upper floor after noticing a rotten smell coming from a padlocked attic room.
Inside lay a 52-year-old Blanche, naked, emaciated, weighing around 24kg, with long uncut hair, surrounded by excrement, rotten food and insects. She hadn't seen daylight since 1876.
What happened to Blanche Monnier and her family?
Louise Monnier was arrested, but died fifteen days later of a heart attack.
Blanche's brother Marcel was convicted and sentenced to 15 months in prison for his role in the crime, but was later acquitted under the penal code as his 'omission' couldn’t be prosecuted because he was deemed mentally impaired.
Blanche was taken to a local hospital and was diagnosed with anorexia-nervosa, schizophrenia, exhibitionism, and coprophilia.
Sadly, she spent the rest of her life institutionalised with mental health problems. She died in 1913 at the age of 64.
Anish Vij