Free Documentary - History: Almost Perfect Crimes: The Papin Sisters | Free Documentary History

The Papin sisters' crime shocked France with its brutality and complexity. On the day of the crime, two major regional newspapers, Sarthe and Ouest Eclair, competed fiercely, each with correspondents providing detailed, firsthand accounts.

The crime scene was chaotic when police arrived: complete darkness, disturbed evidence, and a horrific sight of two women’s bodies covered in blood with one eye violently torn out. This chaos compromised forensic protocols emphasized by Edmond Locard, a pioneer in crime scene investigation.

The victims, Mrs. Lancelin and her daughter, were mourned by thousands in a striking funeral procession featuring two hearses—one black, one white—highlighting the tragedy's impact on the community. The gruesome eye-gouging remains unique in French criminal history.

The sisters’ troubled childhood lacked parental affection. Removed early from their mother, they were placed in religious institutions. Their mother, Clémence Derré, was disturbed by her eldest daughter joining a convent, fueling her animosity toward the Catholic Church.

Christine and Léa Papin worked as housemaids for the Lancelin family, receiving wages and some social insurance. Despite apparent contentment, after seven years, they committed an extreme act of violence, raising questions about underlying causes.

A key factor in understanding the crime is the sisters’ homosexuality, a taboo and criminalized subject in 1933 France. When Christine realized their mistress knew about their relationship, she reacted violently, aiming to erase the gaze that exposed their secret.

During questioning, the sisters initially gave matching statements, suggesting collusion. However, their relationship fractured in prison, leading to divergent testimonies. Christine claimed full responsibility, shifting the narrative to a crime committed by her with Léa’s participation.

Court-appointed experts produced mediocre reports, overlooking critical details like the sisters’ complaints of persecution. Their broad, generalized knowledge blinded them to small but vital facts that could have better explained the crime’s context.

Dr. Logre shocked the press by identifying the culprits as the Papin sisters themselves, framing the crime as a social class rebellion. The sisters symbolized exploited workers who, after years of oppression, rebelled violently, a perspective echoed by contemporary publications like Journal Détective.

The Papin sisters' crime became emblematic of social and psychological tensions: a same-sex couple without male authority, locked in a toxic dynamic with their victims, mother and daughter. This 'horrifying quadrille' unfolded in a confined domestic space, reflecting broader societal conflicts.

After the crime, Christine’s mental state deteriorated rapidly in prison. She died from starvation under mystical delirium, finding solace in religion again. This tragic end closed the circle from their early religious upbringing to their final days, marked by faith and despair.