Historic Mysteries

Historic Mysteries

Papin Sisters: Shocking Housemaids’ Crime That Shook France

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Historic Mysteries
Oct 28, 2025
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Léa and Christine Papin were quiet housemaids in the small city of Le Mans, France. Source: squarepegtheatre.co.uk.

In the northwest of France, there is a city by name of Le Mans, which is known for little more than a famous car race that takes place once a year: the “24 Hours of Le Mans.” But with a cursory glance at Wikipedia’s entry of “Le Mans” in the section of Notable People, one will see in the 7th position down, amidst twenty various aristocrats, priests, and famous musicians, the names of Christine and Léa Papin. These sisters gifted the city with a degree of infamy that would otherwise never have been achieved. But instead of being known for a grand and auspicious accomplishment, the Papin sisters are notable only for murder, in a most gruesome way, their domestic employer and her daughter in 1933.

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