[4][5] Her disapproving mother, angered by her daughter's defiance, locked her in a tiny, dark room in the attic of their home, where she kept her secluded for 25 years.

Despite the butler’s attempts to dissuade them, the police proceeded with their inquiry into an anonymous complaint alleging that an adult woman was being held captive in the Monnier household.

They continued to the second floor, examining each space without any signs of concern—until they reached a locked attic door, secured with a thick chain and padlock.

In order to improve visibility and ventilation, the officers broke the chains on the blinds and removed the canvas covering the windows.

[6] Monnier was rescued by police from appalling conditions, covered in old food and feces, with bugs all around the bed and floor, weighing barely 25 kilograms (55 lb).

All around her was formed a sort of crust made from excrement, fragments of meat, vegetables, fish and rotten bread... We also saw oyster shells, and bugs running across Mademoiselle Monnier's bed.

The air was so unbreathable, the odour given off by the room was so rank, that it was impossible for us to stay any longer to proceed with our investigation.Louise Monnier was arrested, became ill shortly afterwards and died 15 days later, after seeing an angry mob gather in front of her house.

[10][11] In 1930, André Gide published a book about the incident, titled La Séquestrée de Poitiers, changing little but the names of the protagonists.