Almost Perfect Crimes: The Prisoner of Poitiers

This series investigates the most notorious, infamous and terrifying crimes in French history. Cases that – in may cases – inspired films and novels. Join Danielle Thiéry, the first female chief superintendent, on a journey to the dark side of human nature.

In May 1901, the inhabitants of Poitiers found themselves deeply shocked when a newspaper revealed that, for many years, a woman had been kept locked up in awful conditions by her family. Upon finding out that her father had been the dean of the Faculty of Literature and her brother the deputy prefect, the bourgeoisie trembled in horror. When she was finally found, the young woman was dangerously thin and could neither talk nor walk. Her mother and brother, however, seemed surprised by the commotion caused by the affair.

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