LoS a while back translated some articles from the French press regarding a disturbed young woman who beat her mother to death with--among other objects--a crucifix. She was then placed under observation in a psychiatric hospital, where she was found dead during the night at the foot of her bed. Last we read an autopsy was ordered and then....nothing.
We'd all but given up on hearing more about this case, but as it turns out there was some follow-up. It just wasn't very loud. Apparently the autopsy revealed that:
"Les causes de la mort de cette femme sont naturelles. Elle ne s'est pas suicidée et n'a subi aucune violence."
"The causes of this woman's death were natural. She didn't commit suicide or suffer any violence."
When asked how then, she died, the procurer responded:
"Je n'en dirai pas plus."
"I won't speak of it further."
So, that clears things up.
We suspect that by being grossly incompetent in leaving the young woman alone, hospital officials would rather let this story fade away and sadly, the French legal system and media seem all too willing to comply. Which, if you know France, isn't actually all that surprising. One hand washes the other.
Mektoub.
Showing posts with label Lourdes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lourdes. Show all posts
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Crucifix in a death hand, pt. 3
She beat her mother to death with a crucifix
25/03/2009
Awash in mysticism and dementia this drama unfolded Monday in a little apartment on the
rue de l'église.
"I had visions in a dream. I saw that I was the devil, that I was evil and that I had to do it." So declared Élisabeth F., 34, to the police soon after killing her mother Thérèse, 81, during the night on Monday.
The drama unfolded at around 1:15 am in a little apartment the two women occupied on the first floor at 7, place de l’église, in Lourdes. The old woman was asleep in her bedroom and her daughter, like every evening, unfolded the sofa bed in the dining room where she slept. Suddenly, certainly “taken with an attack of dementia” in the words of state prosecutor Gérard Aldigé, she went into her mother’s room and lept upon her in order to do the harm her recent vision incited. She grabbed a lamp from the night table and with it landed several blows upon the face and body of her mother. In a state of extreme agitation, she next took a slat from the bed and continued to hit her mother; she began once again, this time with the crucifix which had evidently been fixed above the bed of her elderly mother. The poor woman could not survive such a flurry of violence.
Prostrate and covered in blood
Soon after, Élisabeth went back into the dining room to call the SAMU [paramedics -LoS]. She simply said: “Come, I’ve just killed my mother.” When the firemen and police arrived her mother was prostrate and covered in blood. As the body of the old woman was transported to the morgue, investigators collected their first statements and placed the young woman in custody. The incoherence of her statements quickly convinced them that she was insensate.
The examining doctor diagnosed that she was suffering from serious mental illness and would not be responsible for her actions. Monday at the end of the day she was placed in the psychiatric unit of the Lannemezan hospital.
An apartment shrine
She will again be examined by one or more psychiatrists in the coming days or weeks. “These examinations will allow us to determine if she is or isn’t capable of standing trial” explained the state prosecutor.
The two women lived here “for about 2 years” reported Émile Magendie, the owner of their apartment. Apparently they had been living in a little lodging on the rue Bartayres. They had left Champagne and the rest of their family for Paris before installing themselves in the Marial city a little more than four years ago. It seems that Thérèse was no longer in contact with her ex-husband and her seven other children. Élisabeth no longer saw them either. The family had come apart after several personal quarrels. Élisabeth, a secret to nobody, suffered from serious psychological problems (see article below).
Very pious, they chose this city because of the devotion they vowed to the Virgin and God. Their two-room flat was stuffed with religious objects, statuettes of Mary and the crucifix. “They were really very faithful, not to say mystics” confirms a neighbor, who always saw them together. Lately Thérèse went out much less. She looked tired. As for Élisabeth, her condition had worsened.
At Lourdes, everyone who crossed their path assures “that they demonstrated a great mutual attachment, they had a great and real love for each other.”
Yesterday in the corridor of their little building, a cat was meowing before their door. It was theirs. It searched in vain for its mistresses. In the afternoon the owner of the apartment took it to the SPA.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"She dreamed of giving her mother a tomb."
Jacques Barzu, departmental president of the Red Cross, knew Thérèse and Élisabeth well: “The came to pick up their care packages every week, I felt they were very close and attentive to one another. I’m devastated by this news; I didn’t think she was so disturbed or violent. Depressive, yes.” He said that for Élisabeth "The future of her mother was an obsessive preoccupation, above all, her death. She often evoked the last remains of her mother and complained of not having enough money to offer her a tomb.” In effect, with both of their small pensions, retirement for one and disability for the other, they lived with about 700 euros. “For three weeks I felt bad about them both,” continued Jacques Barzu. “I remember when they arrived at Lourdes, it was Christmas evening, they had a hard-boiled egg for the both of them. The Red Cross gave them packages of food and some things for everyday life. Thérèse suffered as well. She called me Friday night to unload and speak about the decline of her daughter. She told me that she was in a great mental suffering.”
Father Bernard Saint-Voirin also evoking their mutual love, dwelt a little on their life in Lourdes as, “two lost in life. The daughter was very depressed. She pursued long and brilliant studies but something happened which remains in a shadowy place. I didn’t feel alarmed, however, and I received them every month.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lourdes, the "fraternal city"
This affair is yet another reminder that Lourdes, called the “fraternal city", attracts the distressed from the world over.
“There are many people lost or suffering from mental problems, who sometimes come to live here” said a member of the SAMU.
The volunteers of the Red Cross and Secours Catholique know very well those who come daily for help.
Unfortunately some of these wanderers end up in dramas such as the one which occurred during Monday night.
25/03/2009
Awash in mysticism and dementia this drama unfolded Monday in a little apartment on the
rue de l'église.
"I had visions in a dream. I saw that I was the devil, that I was evil and that I had to do it." So declared Élisabeth F., 34, to the police soon after killing her mother Thérèse, 81, during the night on Monday.
The drama unfolded at around 1:15 am in a little apartment the two women occupied on the first floor at 7, place de l’église, in Lourdes. The old woman was asleep in her bedroom and her daughter, like every evening, unfolded the sofa bed in the dining room where she slept. Suddenly, certainly “taken with an attack of dementia” in the words of state prosecutor Gérard Aldigé, she went into her mother’s room and lept upon her in order to do the harm her recent vision incited. She grabbed a lamp from the night table and with it landed several blows upon the face and body of her mother. In a state of extreme agitation, she next took a slat from the bed and continued to hit her mother; she began once again, this time with the crucifix which had evidently been fixed above the bed of her elderly mother. The poor woman could not survive such a flurry of violence.
Prostrate and covered in blood
Soon after, Élisabeth went back into the dining room to call the SAMU [paramedics -LoS]. She simply said: “Come, I’ve just killed my mother.” When the firemen and police arrived her mother was prostrate and covered in blood. As the body of the old woman was transported to the morgue, investigators collected their first statements and placed the young woman in custody. The incoherence of her statements quickly convinced them that she was insensate.
The examining doctor diagnosed that she was suffering from serious mental illness and would not be responsible for her actions. Monday at the end of the day she was placed in the psychiatric unit of the Lannemezan hospital.
An apartment shrine
She will again be examined by one or more psychiatrists in the coming days or weeks. “These examinations will allow us to determine if she is or isn’t capable of standing trial” explained the state prosecutor.
The two women lived here “for about 2 years” reported Émile Magendie, the owner of their apartment. Apparently they had been living in a little lodging on the rue Bartayres. They had left Champagne and the rest of their family for Paris before installing themselves in the Marial city a little more than four years ago. It seems that Thérèse was no longer in contact with her ex-husband and her seven other children. Élisabeth no longer saw them either. The family had come apart after several personal quarrels. Élisabeth, a secret to nobody, suffered from serious psychological problems (see article below).
Very pious, they chose this city because of the devotion they vowed to the Virgin and God. Their two-room flat was stuffed with religious objects, statuettes of Mary and the crucifix. “They were really very faithful, not to say mystics” confirms a neighbor, who always saw them together. Lately Thérèse went out much less. She looked tired. As for Élisabeth, her condition had worsened.
At Lourdes, everyone who crossed their path assures “that they demonstrated a great mutual attachment, they had a great and real love for each other.”
Yesterday in the corridor of their little building, a cat was meowing before their door. It was theirs. It searched in vain for its mistresses. In the afternoon the owner of the apartment took it to the SPA.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"She dreamed of giving her mother a tomb."
Jacques Barzu, departmental president of the Red Cross, knew Thérèse and Élisabeth well: “The came to pick up their care packages every week, I felt they were very close and attentive to one another. I’m devastated by this news; I didn’t think she was so disturbed or violent. Depressive, yes.” He said that for Élisabeth "The future of her mother was an obsessive preoccupation, above all, her death. She often evoked the last remains of her mother and complained of not having enough money to offer her a tomb.” In effect, with both of their small pensions, retirement for one and disability for the other, they lived with about 700 euros. “For three weeks I felt bad about them both,” continued Jacques Barzu. “I remember when they arrived at Lourdes, it was Christmas evening, they had a hard-boiled egg for the both of them. The Red Cross gave them packages of food and some things for everyday life. Thérèse suffered as well. She called me Friday night to unload and speak about the decline of her daughter. She told me that she was in a great mental suffering.”
Father Bernard Saint-Voirin also evoking their mutual love, dwelt a little on their life in Lourdes as, “two lost in life. The daughter was very depressed. She pursued long and brilliant studies but something happened which remains in a shadowy place. I didn’t feel alarmed, however, and I received them every month.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lourdes, the "fraternal city"
This affair is yet another reminder that Lourdes, called the “fraternal city", attracts the distressed from the world over.
“There are many people lost or suffering from mental problems, who sometimes come to live here” said a member of the SAMU.
The volunteers of the Red Cross and Secours Catholique know very well those who come daily for help.
Unfortunately some of these wanderers end up in dramas such as the one which occurred during Monday night.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Crucifix in a death hand, pt. 2
It may be pointless to go back and translate earlier articles, when the latest in the series pretty much covers all the major points. But so be it. They're interesting for the sense of atmosphere they give. Also the absurdity. The title of the article evokes a "tueuse au crucifix," a crucifix killer, but the article itself mentions only that the crucifix was probably used. Earlier articles give a better indication of why this is likely, and we'll get to them soon. But yeah, the headlines are definitely sensationalist.
Another interesting aspect of this case, media-wise, is that as of today, no more articles have appeared, and the autopsy reports were due out two days ago. Four articles up to this point and no follow-up on the sudden and less-than-clear death of the killer.
The rationalist will see this as an obvious case of a mentally ill and delusional young woman who killed her mother and succumbed to some logical death as a result: shock, heart attack, suicide....
And the rationalist is probably right.
Yet, until all the questions are answered, this has all the makings of a tale of true devilry.
One can only imagine the scene as the incubus stalks into the young killers' room: "B-but you promised...." "Yes" replies the Devil's minion as he licks a clawed index finger. "I did...."
Shadows leap about on the wall as with unseen psionic power the incubus simply removes the soul from the hapless girl, who signed it away years ago and spoke in jumbled remorse of witchcraft and Satan up until the day her contract came to be honored....
----
Lannemezan. The crucifix killer found dead
27/03/2009 Hélène Dubarry
After killing her mother at Lourdes, Élizabeth F. is discovered lifeless at the foot of her bed in a psychiatric hospital.
All legal action is now moot: the lifeless body of Élizabeth F. was discovered yesterday at 10:30 am next to her hospital bed.
"We can't say anything for the moment, for the good reason that we don't know anything" explained state prosecutor Gérard Aldigé yesterday afternoon as he confirmed the death of the young woman. During the night last Monday, Élizabeth, 34, killed her mother at Lourdes, in a fit of rage an uncommon violence. The 81-year-old woman succumbed to the blows of a table lamp, a plank from a bed and probably a crucifix (see previous editions). Soon after the drama, the prosecutor evoked the possibility of mental illness. At the very least very altered behavior. Élizabeth, given her psychiatric state, was admitted to the psychiatric hospital of Lannemezan in order to receive appropriate care.
According to our sources the young woman had already been put in a psychiatric hospital at least once.
Since entering Lannemezan, Élizabeth had been receiving treatment, her ususal treatment, doubtless a little modified. Yesterday morning this treatment was administered as usual and the young woman was no more agitated than usual. She was put in a single room. Two hours later, at 10:30, the hospital staff discovered Élizabeth, stretched out dead next to her bed. There were no marks on the body and nothing to give an explanation: "We don't know anything about the cause of death," continued Gérard Aldigé. "We assume nothing. This is the reason why I asked for an autopsy to be performed by Dr. Michel Disteldorf. A toxocological analyses will also be performed."
For the moment, nothing leads one to think of suicide, but nothing prevents on from thinking it, either. The death could possible have a simple organic cause, such as a heart attack. The results of the autopsy will not be known before Monday afternoon.
Another interesting aspect of this case, media-wise, is that as of today, no more articles have appeared, and the autopsy reports were due out two days ago. Four articles up to this point and no follow-up on the sudden and less-than-clear death of the killer.
The rationalist will see this as an obvious case of a mentally ill and delusional young woman who killed her mother and succumbed to some logical death as a result: shock, heart attack, suicide....
And the rationalist is probably right.
Yet, until all the questions are answered, this has all the makings of a tale of true devilry.
One can only imagine the scene as the incubus stalks into the young killers' room: "B-but you promised...." "Yes" replies the Devil's minion as he licks a clawed index finger. "I did...."
Shadows leap about on the wall as with unseen psionic power the incubus simply removes the soul from the hapless girl, who signed it away years ago and spoke in jumbled remorse of witchcraft and Satan up until the day her contract came to be honored....
----
Lannemezan. The crucifix killer found dead
27/03/2009 Hélène Dubarry
After killing her mother at Lourdes, Élizabeth F. is discovered lifeless at the foot of her bed in a psychiatric hospital.
All legal action is now moot: the lifeless body of Élizabeth F. was discovered yesterday at 10:30 am next to her hospital bed.
"We can't say anything for the moment, for the good reason that we don't know anything" explained state prosecutor Gérard Aldigé yesterday afternoon as he confirmed the death of the young woman. During the night last Monday, Élizabeth, 34, killed her mother at Lourdes, in a fit of rage an uncommon violence. The 81-year-old woman succumbed to the blows of a table lamp, a plank from a bed and probably a crucifix (see previous editions). Soon after the drama, the prosecutor evoked the possibility of mental illness. At the very least very altered behavior. Élizabeth, given her psychiatric state, was admitted to the psychiatric hospital of Lannemezan in order to receive appropriate care.
According to our sources the young woman had already been put in a psychiatric hospital at least once.
Since entering Lannemezan, Élizabeth had been receiving treatment, her ususal treatment, doubtless a little modified. Yesterday morning this treatment was administered as usual and the young woman was no more agitated than usual. She was put in a single room. Two hours later, at 10:30, the hospital staff discovered Élizabeth, stretched out dead next to her bed. There were no marks on the body and nothing to give an explanation: "We don't know anything about the cause of death," continued Gérard Aldigé. "We assume nothing. This is the reason why I asked for an autopsy to be performed by Dr. Michel Disteldorf. A toxocological analyses will also be performed."
For the moment, nothing leads one to think of suicide, but nothing prevents on from thinking it, either. The death could possible have a simple organic cause, such as a heart attack. The results of the autopsy will not be known before Monday afternoon.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Crucifix in a death hand
What follows is a translation of an article in originally published on March 30 in Tolouse's Dêpeche du Midi by Francine Depeyre and Guillaume Atchouel. It is the latest in a series that LoS will translate posthaste.
----
Crime in Lourdes : "Elisabeth often spoke of satanism."
She killed her mother with blows from a crucifix and then she died in the hospital. The funeral of the two women will be performed this morning. Her brother speaks.
The funeral of Thérèse D., 81, and her daughter Elisabeth F., 34, , are to be performed today at 10:30 in the church of the Sacré-Coeur in Lourdes. The first died tragically during the night last Monday, killed by blows from a crucifix from her daughter with whom she shared a small apartment in the Marial City on the rue de l’église. The second died mysteriously in her room at a psychiatric hospital in Lannemezan where she had just been interned after commiting this terrible act. An autopsy was performed at the end of last week to determine the exact circumstances of her death. For the moment the results of this exam have not been made public.
The family of the two women, natives of the department of Aube, will not all attend the funerals. For more than twenty years harmony has not reigned in this family, it would seem, and “relations were tense” say relatives. After separating from her husband, Thérèse and Élisabeth decided to install themselves in Lourdes after brief stints in Paris and the Aveyron. Even if he had not seen them for several years and despite everything, the eldest son Claude stayed in telephone contact with his mother and sister.
She was fascinated by withcraft
Regarding Élisabeth, it was common knowledge among her entire family that “she was psychologically fragile and that her life was punctuated by several psychiatric episodes.” According to Claude "She was interested for a long time in Satanism and witchcraft. It fascinated her and she often spoke about it.” Soon after killing her mother she explained to a policeman that she had seen in a dream she herself was evil and thus what she had to do. Was the murder of her mother a consequence of the her fascination for the devil on her unwell mind? The use of a crucifix to accomplish her crime leads to this conclusion even if there may no way of ever knowing for certain. There remains the fact that her worried mother recently confided to a member of the Red Cross of Lourdes that “her mental state was aggravated.” She was no less a believer than her mother and very pious. She regularly confided to a priest in Lourdes. The various religious objects cluttering their apartment attests as much to her great devotion.
The two women chose to set themselves up in Lourdes to fully live their faith and to regularly visit the Massabielle grotto to pray.
Élisabeth often repeated that she feared being unable to pay for a burial plot for her mother if she died. It is true that her mother lived with nothing but 7OO euros pension a month. However, her mother had purchased funeral insurance in order to be rid of this financial and administrative rigamarole. Did she know? Or had she hidden this fact?
United in their world they consequently pursued their emotional deadlock into death.
----
Here are links to earlier articles soon to be translated:
Lannemezan. La tueuse au crucifix retrouvée morte (Lannemezan. The crucifix killer found dead) 28 March
Lourdes. « Les délires mystiques, ça arrive vite » (Lourdes. "The mystical ravings come quickly") 26 March
Lourdes. Elle tue sa mère à coups de crucifix (Lourdes. She beat her mother to death with a crucifix)
----
Crime in Lourdes : "Elisabeth often spoke of satanism."
She killed her mother with blows from a crucifix and then she died in the hospital. The funeral of the two women will be performed this morning. Her brother speaks.
The funeral of Thérèse D., 81, and her daughter Elisabeth F., 34, , are to be performed today at 10:30 in the church of the Sacré-Coeur in Lourdes. The first died tragically during the night last Monday, killed by blows from a crucifix from her daughter with whom she shared a small apartment in the Marial City on the rue de l’église. The second died mysteriously in her room at a psychiatric hospital in Lannemezan where she had just been interned after commiting this terrible act. An autopsy was performed at the end of last week to determine the exact circumstances of her death. For the moment the results of this exam have not been made public.
The family of the two women, natives of the department of Aube, will not all attend the funerals. For more than twenty years harmony has not reigned in this family, it would seem, and “relations were tense” say relatives. After separating from her husband, Thérèse and Élisabeth decided to install themselves in Lourdes after brief stints in Paris and the Aveyron. Even if he had not seen them for several years and despite everything, the eldest son Claude stayed in telephone contact with his mother and sister.
She was fascinated by withcraft
Regarding Élisabeth, it was common knowledge among her entire family that “she was psychologically fragile and that her life was punctuated by several psychiatric episodes.” According to Claude "She was interested for a long time in Satanism and witchcraft. It fascinated her and she often spoke about it.” Soon after killing her mother she explained to a policeman that she had seen in a dream she herself was evil and thus what she had to do. Was the murder of her mother a consequence of the her fascination for the devil on her unwell mind? The use of a crucifix to accomplish her crime leads to this conclusion even if there may no way of ever knowing for certain. There remains the fact that her worried mother recently confided to a member of the Red Cross of Lourdes that “her mental state was aggravated.” She was no less a believer than her mother and very pious. She regularly confided to a priest in Lourdes. The various religious objects cluttering their apartment attests as much to her great devotion.
The two women chose to set themselves up in Lourdes to fully live their faith and to regularly visit the Massabielle grotto to pray.
Élisabeth often repeated that she feared being unable to pay for a burial plot for her mother if she died. It is true that her mother lived with nothing but 7OO euros pension a month. However, her mother had purchased funeral insurance in order to be rid of this financial and administrative rigamarole. Did she know? Or had she hidden this fact?
United in their world they consequently pursued their emotional deadlock into death.
----
Here are links to earlier articles soon to be translated:
Lannemezan. La tueuse au crucifix retrouvée morte (Lannemezan. The crucifix killer found dead) 28 March
Lourdes. « Les délires mystiques, ça arrive vite » (Lourdes. "The mystical ravings come quickly") 26 March
Lourdes. Elle tue sa mère à coups de crucifix (Lourdes. She beat her mother to death with a crucifix)
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