The story of Blanche Monnier is one that'll make you feel sick to your stomach.
It all came to the fore in May 1901, when the attorney general of Paris received a bizarre letter about a 25-year-old secret.
The contents of it were so disturbing to the attorney general that he opened an investigation straight away and found something shocking.
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It was all to do with the Monnier family, which was confusing, given their stellar reputation and high social standing.
Who were the Monnier family?
Blanche Monnier was born in 1849 to Madame Louise Monnier, a high society individual known for her charity work, and Charles Monnier, who was in charge of a local arts facility.
Blanche's older brother, Marcel, was a law school graduate, who was known for his work as an administrative official with the Puget-Théniers commune.
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The family were well regarded, but it was all about to go downhill in 1876.
What happened to Blanche Monnier?
Blanche, a socialite that was described as 'very gentle and good-natured' and physically beautiful, annoyed her parents when she fell in love with an older lawyer that they didn't approve of.
Often in the public eye due to the family's prestigious place in society, people were shocked when one day, she vanished.
Nine Entertainment reports that Louise told people that Blanche had gone travelling, and over time, people stopped asking questions about the socialite.
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But then, over two decades later, the infamous letter came through to the attorney general, revealing the horrible truth of Blanche's whereabouts.
What was in the letter to the Attorney General?
The letter read: “Monsieur Attorney General: I have the honour 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.”
Authorities investigated the house in 1901, and though the family resisted their attempts to come in, they ultimately failed, report The Crime Wire.
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They dug deeper into the home, and noticed a horrid smell coming from a door upstairs, which was padlocked shut.
Where was Blanche Monnier found?
Police broke into the room, and couldn't believe what they found.
In the pitch black and among the filth was Blanche, as light revealed rotting food scraps, faeces and bugs around the emaciated woman.
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It was the first time Blanche was seen by non-family members in decades, and the first time she had seen the sunlight since 1876.
She was malnourished, now middle-aged and reportedly weighed just 55 pounds.
The former socialite didn't even have enough strength to go to the toilet, which is why she was surrounded in her own waste.
One of the officers that discovered her at the crime scene recalled: “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.”
It was a miracle that she was still alive, and they transported her to hospital after arresting her mother and brother.
Hospital staff noted that Blanche said it was 'lovely' to breathe fresh air again.
But why did this happen?
The aftermath
Madame Louise admitted that because Blanche's potential suitor was not a young, wealthy aristocrat, and a broke lawyer, she insisted that she choose a better husband.
Blanche stood firm, and as punishment, she was held in a padlocked room. While Blanche was locked away, sadly, her love died in 1885.
Marcel ended up helping their mother keep Blanche captive, and the horrific story would eventually spread to the public.
A mob would form outside the house, and the stress caused by the reaction resulted in Madame Monnier suffering from heart problems.
The only family member left was Marcel, who argued that Blanche never wanted to leave the room in the first place, and that she was also violent.
He was then sentenced to 15 months in prison, but he was acquitted following his claims.
Blanche would sadly never live a normal life again, with the psychological damage proving too severe, as she lived the rest of her life in a sanitarium in Bois, passing away in 1913, aged 64.
Topics: Crime, History, Weird, World News
Joshua Nair