Marie-Louise Giraud
Encyclopedia
Marie-Louise Giraud was a housewife and mother who became one of the last women to be guillotined in France. Giraud was a convicted abortionist in 1940s Nazi occupied France. She was executed on July 30, 1943 for having performed 27 abortions in the Cherbourg area. Her story was dramatized in the 1988 film Story of Women
directed by Claude Chabrol
.
by executioner Jules-Henri Desfourneaux for having performed 27 abortions in the region of Cherbourg. She was the only faiseuse d'anges (French slang: literally- "maker of angels") to be executed for this reason. A man was also beheaded the same year for three abortions.
Coming from a poor family, Giraud was married to a sailor, with whom she had two children. She worked as a domestic housekeeper and laundress. From the beginning of World War II she also rented rooms to prostitutes. She began to perform abortions, initially on a voluntary basis and without compensation.
The law of March 27, 1923 stated that whoever caused the miscarriage
of a woman shall be punished by one to five years imprisonment and a fine of 500 to 10,000 FF. Also, the woman aborted risked six months to two years in prison, but as an offense, not a crime. A person charged with abortion was judged not by a jury
but by a panel of judges as juries were believed to be swayed too easily by emotion.
In 1935, paralleling a similar movement in the United States
, Dr. Jean Dalsace opened Suresnes
(Hauts-de-Seine
) the first birth control clinic.
However, on July 29, 1939, a month before the invasion of Poland
, the criminal penalties for abortion were increased. Economic deprivation, food shortages, and the separation of a large number of married couples (1.9 million prisoners of war interned in French Germany) led to pregnancies - adulterous or not - becoming less common, but there was a greater demand for illegal abortions. Therefore, the Law of February 15, 1942 made abortion a crime against state security, punishable by the death penalty. The law was repealed after the Libération
.
, the death penalty was necessary in Giraud's case. The court sentenced Giraud to death. Only a presidential pardon could save her life, but Marshal Pétain refused to commute the sentence.
was also among the first countries to allow abortions if the life or health of the mother was in danger.
In July 2004, abortions under a physician's supervision were certified by the French Ministry of Health after the legalization of abortion in 1975.
Story of Women
Story of Women is a 1988 French drama film directed by Claude Chabrol based on the true story of Marie-Louise Giraud, guillotined on July 30, 1943, for having performed 27 abortions in the Cherbourg area, and the book by Francis Szpiner. It premiered at the Toronto Film Festival.-Plot:Isabelle...
directed by Claude Chabrol
Claude Chabrol
Claude Chabrol was a French film director, a member of the French New Wave group of filmmakers who first came to prominence at the end of the 1950s...
.
Background
Marie-Louise Giraud, at the age of 39, was guillotined on the morning of July 30, 1943 in the courtyard of the prison de la Roquette in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
by executioner Jules-Henri Desfourneaux for having performed 27 abortions in the region of Cherbourg. She was the only faiseuse d'anges (French slang: literally- "maker of angels") to be executed for this reason. A man was also beheaded the same year for three abortions.
Coming from a poor family, Giraud was married to a sailor, with whom she had two children. She worked as a domestic housekeeper and laundress. From the beginning of World War II she also rented rooms to prostitutes. She began to perform abortions, initially on a voluntary basis and without compensation.
Political context
The law of 1920, which criminalized abortion, had the following aims:- to fill the hole in the population due to the bloodshed of the 1914-1918 war
- to boost the birth rate, which was chronically lower in France than in neighboring countries (including Germany), and had been for over a century
The law of March 27, 1923 stated that whoever caused the miscarriage
Miscarriage
Miscarriage or spontaneous abortion is the spontaneous end of a pregnancy at a stage where the embryo or fetus is incapable of surviving independently, generally defined in humans at prior to 20 weeks of gestation...
of a woman shall be punished by one to five years imprisonment and a fine of 500 to 10,000 FF. Also, the woman aborted risked six months to two years in prison, but as an offense, not a crime. A person charged with abortion was judged not by a jury
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
but by a panel of judges as juries were believed to be swayed too easily by emotion.
In 1935, paralleling a similar movement in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Dr. Jean Dalsace opened Suresnes
Suresnes
Suresnes is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. The nearest communes are Neuilly-sur-Seine, Puteaux, Rueil-Malmaison, Saint-Cloud and Boulogne-Billancourt...
(Hauts-de-Seine
Hauts-de-Seine
Hauts-de-Seine is designated number 92 of the 101 départements in France. It is part of the Île-de-France region, and covers the western inner suburbs of Paris...
) the first birth control clinic.
However, on July 29, 1939, a month before the invasion of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, the criminal penalties for abortion were increased. Economic deprivation, food shortages, and the separation of a large number of married couples (1.9 million prisoners of war interned in French Germany) led to pregnancies - adulterous or not - becoming less common, but there was a greater demand for illegal abortions. Therefore, the Law of February 15, 1942 made abortion a crime against state security, punishable by the death penalty. The law was repealed after the Libération
Liberation of Paris
The Liberation of Paris took place during World War II from 19 August 1944 until the surrender of the occupying German garrison on August 25th. It could be regarded by some as the last battle in the Battle for Normandy, though that really ended with the crushing of the Wehrmacht forces between the...
.
The trial
At trial, the President stressed the immorality of the accused. Twenty-seven women had used Giraud's services. According to the Advocate GeneralAdvocate General
An Advocate General is a senior law officer of a country or other jurisdiction, usually charged with advising the courts or Government on legal matters.-India:In India, an Advocate General is a legal adviser to a state government...
, the death penalty was necessary in Giraud's case. The court sentenced Giraud to death. Only a presidential pardon could save her life, but Marshal Pétain refused to commute the sentence.
Remarks
At the same time in 1942, the recently created College of Physicians was allowed to perform abortions not only if the mother's life was in danger but also when her health was seriously compromised. SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
was also among the first countries to allow abortions if the life or health of the mother was in danger.
In July 2004, abortions under a physician's supervision were certified by the French Ministry of Health after the legalization of abortion in 1975.