Background
Catherine Cadière was born to a merchant, whose health was ruined by the plague in 1720, and lived under the guardianship of her mother and brothers.
Catherine Cadière was born to a merchant, whose health was ruined by the plague in 1720, and lived under the guardianship of her mother and brothers.
The trial of Catherine Cadiére in 1731 is one of the most famous of its kind in French history, and have been referred to many times in literature, notably in the pornographic novel Thérèse Philosophe. She was encouraged to the belief that she suffered from holy convulsions and saintly stigmata and spiritual visions by Girard, who presented it to be the symptoms of a saint. He visited her often, and possibly abused her sexually.
Her emotional state during these experiences was described as hysterical.
In June 1730, Girard was investigated for abuse and corruption, and she was placed in a convent. She was released in September 1730.
The case was transferred to the court of Aix-en-Provence. Catherine was first placed in a convent in Toulon and was then take to a convent in Aix for the trial.
The case drew enormous attention from the whole of France, and Catherine was supported by parliamentarians, noblewomen, and the public in Toulon and Aix.
On 11 September 1731, Catherine Cadiére was sentenced to death. On 10 October 1731, she was declared innocent. Her acquittal and release was greeted with great rejoicing from the public.
She was turned over to her mother, who was to remove her to prevent chaos, so that civil order could be restored.
However, the fate of Catherine Cadiére after this is unknown, and considered to be mysterious.