In 1901, an anonymous letter to the Paris Attorney General revealed a horrific secret: Blanche Monnier, a woman from a respected family in Poitiers, France, had been locked away in a tiny attic room for 25 years. The letter described her as half-starved, living amidst her own filth.
Blanche, born in 1849, was a spirited young woman whose desire to marry a man not approved by her mother led to her imprisonment. Locked away in the dark attic, she lived without sunlight or proper care, surviving on scraps.
Police forced their way into the attic in 1901, finding Blanche emaciated and covered in filth. Her mother and brother had concealed her existence from friends and the public, claiming she had gone away.
Blanche’s mother was arrested but died shortly after. Her brother was initially convicted but later acquitted. The mysterious letter that led to Blanche’s rescue has never been traced.
