How sometimes it is difficult to understand the motives of other people's actions, especially if it is a brutal murder. And if this murder was committed by two respectable girls, about whom all around spoke only positively. In the 1930s, France was shocked and perplexed: how could this happen? The story of the murder of a mother and daughter is a terrible story of the Papen sisters.
Where is everyone?
Late in the evening of February 2, 1933, the police officers who arrived at the call of lawyer Monsieur Lanselen to the house on Bruyere Street were ready for much. But even seasoned law enforcement officers were amazed at what they saw.
It all started with the fact that Mr. Lancelen, approaching his house, became worried, not seeing light and movement in the windows. “Where is the wife and daughter, where is the servant?” - rushed restless thoughts. Noticing the flickering flame of a candle on the second floor, which quickly went out, he suggested the worst: thieves climbed into the house. Monsieur Monsieur Lanceleen was reinforced by the fact of forgotten house keys, and only silence answered the loud pounding on the door. In concern, he ran to the brother-in-law - perhaps his wife and daughter might have been there, but they were not there. Returning to the house with a relative, the lawyer called the police.
Having broken the door, law enforcement officers carefully began to inspect the house. The ominous atmosphere was fueled by the lack of electricity in the house and complete silence. In the dim light of the lanterns, a terrible picture appeared before the police as they climbed the steps. At first, the light of a flashlight caught something that looked like an eye. Taking a closer look, the gendarme realized that this was indeed a human eye torn from an orbit.
We were waiting for you
A chill ran across the back of the policeman, he realized that nothing good was waiting for him further. In the chaotic dance of the light of a small flashlight, he saw the woman's body lying on its back, and nearby was the corpse of a young girl. The bodies were disfigured, puddles and sprays of blood everywhere, a lot of blood, and three eyes lay. The policeman shouted that Monsieur Lancelen did not rise behind him, he wanted to protect the lawyer from a terrible sight. He had to shout several times, so that it dawned on others that something terrible had happened in the house.
But where is the servant? Where are the girls who did not leave the house even on holidays? Maybe they were killed too? Assuming this outcome, the policeman began to inspect the rooms of the second floor. Pushing the door of the room in which the servant lived, he saw in the darkness two female figures lying on the bed. Having lit the bed, the gendarme realized that the girls were alive and not hurt. At the sight of the police, the youngest of the girls said quietly: “We killed them. They feel better … "And the eldest added:" We were waiting for you. " These were the sisters of Papen.
In court
The story of the murder of the hostesses by the servants stirred up the whole of France. The case received huge publicity. It was impossible to attend the court session, literally crowds of people wanted to be present at the judicial investigation. In order not to turn the court into a booth, it was decided to restrict access to the courtroom only to participants in the process.
The judge looked at the Papen sisters: modest, seemingly decent girls, dressed in simple clothes, and admitted such atrocity. The questioning of the injured Monsieur Lancelene, whose wife and daughter were killed, showed that for seven years of work he had not noticed anything wrong with his sisters. Quiet, hardworking, decent girls lived modestly, did not meet with the guys, spent holidays and weekends in their room. Only on Sundays did they attend church, and that’s all.
What did the sisters say
Everyone was worried what Leia and Christina Papen would say. How to explain your act? The following picture appeared from the girls' story. Due to a power outage, there was no light in the house that evening, so the sisters, having finished work, went to their homes and went to bed. A little later, the mistresses returned to the house: mother and daughter Lancelen. The eldest, Christina, throwing herself on a nightgown, ran out to meet Madame, whom she encountered on the stairs.
An unpleasant conversation took place between them: the hostess scolded Christina. Then the girl grabbed a tin jug and hit Madame Lancelen on the head. To help her mother, Genevieve Lancelen rushed up the stairs. Kristina hit her, and then with her bare hands she pulled out the eyes of the young mistress. The youngest, Leia, came running to the noise and joined in the beating of already mortally wounded victims. In a fit of rage, Leia pulled out Madame Lancelen's eyes and finished off her with the same pitcher. After that, both sisters brought a knife, scissors, a hammer and abused already lifeless bodies. The reprisal took half an hour, after which they washed off the blood, went to bed and began to wait for the police.
Why did you do this?
The judge was interested in the motive for the murder. What made previously not convicted girls commit such a crime. But neither Leia nor Christina gave an intelligible answer. Suggestive questions about how they may have been treated badly, paid little, scoffed at them, also did not shed light on the cause of the murder. The family of lawyer Lancelen with the servant was doing well, they paid a decent salary: the Papen sisters even saved up a decent amount.
To all the judge's questions about the motive for the crime, Leia and Christina were silent, their eyes dropping to the floor. Also to the judge’s question “Why did Madame Lancelen scold Christina?” no answer either. The mysterious words that Leia said to the policemen on the day of the crime (“They will feel better”) only exacerbated the situation.
Papen Sisters Crime
The investigation turned to the personalities of the killers. All previous employers and Monsieur Lancelen himself gave only positive feedback. And then the court drew attention to the strong affection of the sisters. They were always together, even sleeping in the same bed. I haven’t met any of the guys. After the murder, the police found them naked in bed. And another strange behavior of the older sister in prison, which resembled sexual breaking. Christine demanded a meeting with her younger sister, and when they brought her in, she attacked her and began to carelessly caress. The guard had to take Leia to the cell. Christine shouted: “Give me back your husband!” Christina called her sister a husband.
To the judge’s direct question about whether the sisters are in sexual intercourse, Christina vehemently denied, and Leia was silent. It is significant that in this pair was dominated by an older sister, Christina, who had a strong and excitable character. She subjugated the younger sister, who was weak and led. Therefore, there were suspicions that Christine was suffering from some kind of mental illness that could rationally explain such a brutal murder.
Doctor's testimony
An expert at the trial was Dr. Schwarzimmer, a well-known psychiatrist. He dismissed all the assumptions of the defense about the insanity of the sisters due to mental pathologies. He stated that both sisters of Papen are mentally healthy, with intelligence and can be held criminally liable under article 64 of the criminal code.
The defense's requests for an independent examination by the court were not satisfied. The court also did not take into account the testimony of Dr. Logre, who did not agree with Dr. Schwarzimmer. He argued that tearing out the victim’s eyes was an indication of the strongest sexual impulse that had found a way out in sadism. He insisted on studying the previous life of the accused. And when sentencing he asked to take into account the psychological trauma received in childhood.
Apple from apple tree
The biography of the Papen sisters is a common story of children from a dysfunctional family. Father is an alcoholic, mother was a windy woman who loved to take a walk on the side, and one day she disappeared altogether. Girls were brought up by relatives, and then - in shelters. In addition, in front of their eyes, the father raped their older sister Emily when she was 11 years old. Nobody loved and defended them. No one was involved in their development. Sisters from childhood were not needed by anyone. Therefore, their attachment to each other can be understood.
The biography of Christina and Leia Papen and family is typical in our days. All modern orphanages are crammed with children from dysfunctional families, where the history of parents is almost the same: alcoholism, prostitution, pedophilia and complete indifference to the needs of children. Growing up in such a family and not receiving psychological trauma that will lead to moral ugliness is practically impossible. Therefore, the sisters of Daddy have a very revealing story.
Sentence
The trial lasted several hours, after which a verdict was passed. Christina was convicted of two murders and sentenced to death through the guillotine. Leia was found guilty of the murder of Madame Lancelen and sentenced to 10 years in prison and 20 years of exile. The story of the famous Papen sisters does not end there. Christine was later commuted to life imprisonment. But three years later she died in a psychiatric clinic from physical exhaustion: she refused food because she was separated from her sister.
Leia was released eight years later for exemplary behavior. She tracked down her mother and settled with her in the province, where she entered the hotel as a maid, but under a different name. Leia did not marry, lived a quiet life and died just as quietly.
