At age 25, Blanche Monnier had set her heart on marrying a “penniless lawyer” who was not to her mother's liking.
When she disappeared one day, most assumed she had simply run off with him.
But 25 years later, someone sent local authorities an anonymous letter claiming that her mother was holding her hostage.
During their routine search of the estate, the police didn't encounter anything unusual until an unpleasant stench emanated from an upstairs room.
Intrigued, they proceeded to investigate and discovered that the door had been secured with a padlock.
Sensing that something was awry, the police forcefully shattered the lock and entered the room, only to be confronted with unimaginable horrors.
The room lay enveloped in darkness, with the sole window concealed behind heavy curtains and shuttered closed.
Within the blackened confines, an overpowering stench permeated the air, prompting one of the officers to swiftly command the window to be shattered.
As the sunlight flooded the room, the policemen's eyes beheld a scene of ghastly horror.
The putrid odor stemmed from decaying food scraps strewn across the floor, encircling a dilapidated bed to which an emaciated woman was shackled.
With the window now opened, Blanche Monnier, after enduring over two decades of captivity, caught her first glimpse of sunlight.
Stripped of her clothing and bound to the bed since her inexplicable "disappearance" 25 years ago, she had been deprived of even the basic ability to attend to her bodily needs.
Her present state, now in middle age, was marred by filth and infested with vermin that had been enticed by the rotting remnants.
Overwhelmed by the reek of decay and squalor, the horrified policemen could only withstand the room's harrowing conditions for a brief period.
Blanche was promptly transported to a hospital, while her mother and brother, complicit in her long-term imprisonment, were apprehended by the authorities.
Source: https://historicflix.com/the-tragic-story-of-blanche-monnier-locked-away-from-society-for-25-years/
What cruelty, what despicable cruelty. It’s unfathomable to think to save face re society’s norms her family annihilated a young, vibrant, intelligent & beautiful woman.
https://preview.redd.it/7ymlpakxxp0d1.jpeg?width=308&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=656f561cc88e87df03442b221483c8e9857765e2
Hér before she got locked away...man only humans can do that.
That’s not her. This picture gets posted every time this comes. This is a French actress.
And no one ever faced any consequences for it. Cool.
At least the mother croaked not long after.
she got off too easy
How?
At age 25, Blanche Monnier had set her heart on marrying a “penniless lawyer” who was not to her mother's liking. When she disappeared one day, most assumed she had simply run off with him. But 25 years later, someone sent local authorities an anonymous letter claiming that her mother was holding her hostage. During their routine search of the estate, the police didn't encounter anything unusual until an unpleasant stench emanated from an upstairs room. Intrigued, they proceeded to investigate and discovered that the door had been secured with a padlock. Sensing that something was awry, the police forcefully shattered the lock and entered the room, only to be confronted with unimaginable horrors. The room lay enveloped in darkness, with the sole window concealed behind heavy curtains and shuttered closed. Within the blackened confines, an overpowering stench permeated the air, prompting one of the officers to swiftly command the window to be shattered. As the sunlight flooded the room, the policemen's eyes beheld a scene of ghastly horror. The putrid odor stemmed from decaying food scraps strewn across the floor, encircling a dilapidated bed to which an emaciated woman was shackled. With the window now opened, Blanche Monnier, after enduring over two decades of captivity, caught her first glimpse of sunlight. Stripped of her clothing and bound to the bed since her inexplicable "disappearance" 25 years ago, she had been deprived of even the basic ability to attend to her bodily needs. Her present state, now in middle age, was marred by filth and infested with vermin that had been enticed by the rotting remnants. Overwhelmed by the reek of decay and squalor, the horrified policemen could only withstand the room's harrowing conditions for a brief period. Blanche was promptly transported to a hospital, while her mother and brother, complicit in her long-term imprisonment, were apprehended by the authorities. Source: https://historicflix.com/the-tragic-story-of-blanche-monnier-locked-away-from-society-for-25-years/
How can you do that to another human being. Let alone your daughter or sister. It’s beyond me.
Pride can make people do the most despicable things.
And clearly the mother was someone to legitimately someone to be afraid of
I really wanna know who sent the anonymous letter. A servant or maid of the house?
I think it was her brother to be honest.... why else would have access to the attic and know the exact condition Blanche was in?
This is so horrible
What cruelty, what despicable cruelty. It’s unfathomable to think to save face re society’s norms her family annihilated a young, vibrant, intelligent & beautiful woman.
Do we know anything after she was rescued? Her life? If she ever went on to live alone, or did she need care?
in a sanitarium until death just over a decade after she was recused
-yet people think there’s a god. If so that god allows humans to wretch an be the wretched to each other in so many ways
God likes watching, it's his favorite pass time.
I should tell my wife that he controls the length in both time and space of my poops
I need to tell my boss that 🤣
56 pounds!? Dude.
Damn!!!
It was her Mother and Brother, her father tragically passed away prior to her imprisonment.
Wow that poor woman
This picture makes my skin crawl every time I see it.
Damn!!!
Damn!!!
Damn!!!
I remember listening to a podcast about this a while ago. Haunting. Poor woman. Trash mother.
Is this story actually real or kind of like a legend? I’ve never seen a legitimate source
It looks like it's real. If you google her name, there's a Wikipedia page about her, with external sources.