LE MANS — 1933 · Murder
The Papin Sisters Case
On the evening of 2 February 1933 in Le Mans, sisters Christine and Léa Papin, live-in maids in the household of a lawyer's family, killed the lady of the house and her daughter. The killings reportedly followed a dispute over a power failure. The sisters were detained at the scene and admitted the crime. At a one-day trial before the Le Mans assize court in September 1933 the jury found both guilty: Christine was sentenced to death, later commuted to life with hard labour, while Léa, judged to have been under her sister's influence, received ten years' hard labour. Christine died in prison in 1937. Through its questions of class and mental illness the case influenced thinkers and artists from Jacques Lacan to Jean Genet.
- Date
- 1933
- Place
- Sarthe, France, Le Mans, FR
- Category
- Murder
- Case Status
- Solved
- Coordinates
- 48.0061, 0.1996 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 2 February 1933A double murder took place at the Le Mans house; the sisters were detained.
- September 1933The Le Mans assize court found both sisters guilty.
- 1933Christine's death sentence was commuted to life with hard labour.
- 18 May 1937Christine Papin died in prison.
- 1947Jean Genet's play 'The Maids', inspired by the case, premiered.
Sources
- Europe 1 — Affaire des sœurs Papin : le mythe derrière l'horreur europe1.fr ↗
- Wikipedia — Christine and Léa Papin en.wikipedia.org ↗
- Europe 1
- Wikipedia
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.