In the previous episode of “Monique Olivier: Accessory To Evil,” the documentary gave a brief overview of the murders and convictions of Michel Fourniret. He began his murder spree in 1987 and continued until 2003, when a failed kidnapping helped officials solve the case. It later emerged that Fourniret’s wife, Monique, was also involved in the murders; she was her husband’s partner and helped Fourniret commit the crimes. Initially, Monique had falsified all of her statements, but after several interrogations, Monique could no longer withstand the pressure and confessed to being involved in the murders. The second episode began with the lawyer Richard Delgenes and his view of the case. It was clear that Monique suffered from psychological problems that greatly influenced her actions. Michel was constantly talking to Monique to understand her point of view. Richard understood that Monique had never regretted killing people or supporting her husband. Monique wanted people to understand her, but she did not realize that they would never support her because she had helped Fourniret kill several children.
Although she knew it was her fault, Monique could not accept that people would blame her without understanding her problems. There was no way Richard could have helped her because she had clearly accepted her role in the murders. Shortly thereafter, Monique was transferred to the Charleville County Jail. She had shown all the signs of a serial killer, the most important being the lack of compassion and emotion for her mistakes. Richard had no choice but to defend Monique because it was his duty to protect her. Richard had looked at Monique’s actions from a different angle, and according to Richard, no one had ever tried to understand her true character. Monique was great at manipulating the people around her. Even today, people cannot see her true nature and end up drawing different conclusions. Some believed that Fourniret was controlling her, while others believed that Monique was merely trying to appear innocent.
Spoilers Ahead
Understanding Monique And Fourniret’s Psychology
As time went on, another psychologist named Gauthier Pirson came into the picture. He was surprised by her physical features, and Pirson also noticed that she always kept her eyes lowered during conversations. Monique had fooled the law into thinking that she was being controlled by her husband all the time. In reality, Monique was too cunning for her own good and was in complete control of her emotions. Forensic psychologist Collette Prouvost would describe her interactions as far too difficult, as she would not comment on the murders. In addition, Monique exhibited the traits of two different people at the same time, clearly explaining why she was described as “two-faced.” For some, Monique never posed a problem, while others, unable to access Monique’s side of the story, avoided talking to her at all costs. The psychologists wanted to know why Monique would hurt other children when she was a mother herself. For some reason, Monique had divorced her former husband, losing custody of her children. In 1966, Fourniret had been arrested for molesting a young girl, and that conviction had landed him in prison. Monique and Fourniret began to communicate with each other through letters because prisoners were allowed to communicate with outsiders so as to not be lonely.
Within ten months, Fourniret and Monique had written 190 letters to each other. Fourniret and Monique began to talk about his darkest fantasies. They were both very similar and lacked love in their lives. Fourniret realized that Monique was showing signs of emotional pain and loneliness, which was enough for him to play his cards right. Fourniret began to manipulate her into loving him, and the two dated and married within four months of his release from prison in 1987. Fourniret kept reminding her of his presence, and Monique began to love him without seeing his bad side. Monique never wanted to lose another person, and so she never turned him in, as it would have landed him in prison, leaving her all alone again. Fourniret had never valued the lives of his victims and kept a personal diary, recording the details of the women he had killed. Fourniret described the girls he had killed and left no information out. Monique had made the big mistake of trusting him, even though he had killed so many people in the past. She could have lost her life in the process. But Monique had too much faith in Fourniret and believed that he would never hurt her. Monique felt betrayed by her loved ones when she was left alone to suffer. That is why she wanted a man who would fulfill her desires and stand by her side.
What Happened To Elisabeth Brichet?
The prosecution had obtained a statement from Monique’s friend Elisabeth, who revealed personal details from Monique’s past. According to her, Monique was afraid of her ex-husband Andre and did not speak too loudly in his presence. However, Andre revealed that Monique had been a good person until he made painting his forte. In the letters she sent to Fourniret, Monique recounted the abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband. According to Monique, Andre was obsessed with her and often doubted her fidelity to him. To this day, there is no confirmation that Andre ever abused her. In addition, Monique decided to give Andre custody of her children voluntarily. After psychologists examined Monique’s mental health, they focused their attention on Fourniret’s obsessions. Growing up, he had witnessed his mother’s experiences as an illegitimate child because her grandmother had become pregnant by a man she had once met. When he turned 12, Fourniret began to focus more on young girls who had never had physical contact with men.
Over time, the letters revealed that Monique wanted a favor from Fourniret. She wanted him to kill Andre, and in return, Monique had promised to help him with the murders. Isabelle’s murder was their first together, and all along, the officers had not understood that Monique was the one who had lured Isabelle. Monique had the option of surrendering Fourniret. That decision could have saved the lives of many young girls. But she chose to support Fourniret. At some point, Monique succeeded in drugging Isabelle, and then she was taken to her house, where Fourniret physically abused her. The two viewed people as objects, and for them to abuse these girls was no big deal. The prosecution concludes that Monique was responsible for forcing Fourniret to hurt other people. He had never killed anyone before, as Isabelle was the first person he’d murdered. There were several conspiracies related to Isabelle’s murder. Some people believed they had sacrificed her to have a child, as nine months after Isabelle’s murder, Monique’s first child, Selim, was born.
These allegations were never confirmed, but the prosecution always took pity on Selim. In addition to Isabelle, Fourniret brutally murdered another girl named Elisabeth Brichet. Every afternoon Elisabeth visited her friend, who lived a few streets away, but one evening she never came back. Her mother did everything in her power to bring her daughter back, never giving up hope until she realized Elisabeth would never return. Elisabeth was abducted in 1989, and authorities were not able to recover her body until 2004. On the day of her abduction, Monique and Fourniret had waited for three hours, and when Elisabeth left her friend’s house, they managed to trick her into believing that Selim was sick and they needed a doctor urgently. Elisabeth tried to save the baby because she had a pure heart, but Monique never cared about the painful cries of other children.
