One incident that will be hard to forget in history is the case of Blanche Monnier has spent 25 years of captivity in her own house. This case still remains one that many people can’t wrap their minds around however, that will not change the fact that the young French lady was a hostage for 25 long years. What could have led to such an action? And who is responsible for this crime? are some of the questions many have asked about Blache Monnier’s predicament. Get answers to these questions as we share the untold truth of Blanche Monnier’s 25-year captivity in this article.
Who Was Blanche Monnier?
Blanche Monnier was a very beautiful lady born on March 1st, 1849 to an elite family in Poitiers, France. Her mother was a widow named, Madame Louise Monnier Demarconnay who was notable for her philanthropic nature and was even honored by her community with an award for her generosity. Blanche also had a brother named Marcel, a smart young man who eventually became a lawyer. On her own part, Blanche Monnier was described by her acquaintances as gentle and well-behaved.
However, this damsel who was greatly admired by many vanished sometime in 1874. She was gone for so long that many people close to her family practically stopped asking about her whereabouts. Moreso, since Blanche’s mother and brother continued to live a normal life after her disappearance, everyone’s mind was taken off the disappearance of the young lady.
The Untold Truth of Blanche Monnier: Why Was She Locked Up For 25 Years?
On a fateful day in May 1901, records have it that a tip-off was given to the Attorney General of Paris that one of the elites in the city had a dreadful secret – stating that a girl has been imprisoned for 25 years in her home. The writer did not reveal his identity to the authorities and so they did not know who wrote the note. However, the Attorney General was disturbed upon reading the letter, hence he commenced an investigation into the matter instantly.
Some police officers were dispatched to the Monnier Estate to search its premises. This was however carried out with some form of reluctance as they were familiar with Madame Monnier’s admirable reputation in the community. However, during the search, they perceived a foul smell which was traced to a locked room upstairs in the Monnier mansion. This triggered their suspicion and the police officers acted quickly by forcing the locks open. They were met with a stench so dreadful that one can only attribute it to a corpse.
Moreso, the room that was open was pitch black and they had to manage to trace the window which was located behind very heavy window drapes. When they opened the window and sun rays flooded in, a miserable-looking Blanche Monnier was seen at the far end of the room, tied to a bed. She was practically covered with her own feces and urine with pieces of food littered all around her. The police had to summon the courage to carry her fragile frame from the filth she was in and rushed her to a hospital in Paris.
Blanche Monnier’s mum and brother were arrested and questioned about the state of the lady found. Madame Louise Monnier then recounted to the police the events that led to Blache being locked up for 25 years. According to the woman, her daughter fell in love with a much older man who happens to be a lawyer with a poor background. She was not in support of their relationship from the onset and even when her daughter wanted to marry the man, she still did not change her stance.
Madame Monnier tried all she could to make Blanche forget this ‘penniless’ man (as she calls him) but she did not. The 25-year-old lady was bent on marrying the man and that was what prompted her mother to lure her into the artic where she kept her hostage. She revealed that she wanted to use this tactic to make her daughter forget the man but in the end, she failed and had to keep her there permanently.
What Happened to Blache Monnier After She Was Discovered?
It was expected that Blanche Monnier would have serious health problems after her ordeal in her mother’s hand. She was reportedly malnourished weighing about 23 kg (50 pounds). However, it was her mental state that was seriously damaged as she became very unstable mentally and in spite of receiving treatment from a psychiatric hospital in Blois, France, she never recovered up until her death in 1913.
Madame Monnier was sent to jail for her crime but died 15 days afterward due to heart failure. Blanche’s brother, Marcel was also arrested for being an accomplice but was released after an appeal was sent in.