Aurore Gagnon
Encyclopedia
Aurore Gagnon was a victim of child abuse
. She died of exhaustion and blood poisoning from some 52 wounds inflicted by her stepmother, Marie-Anne Houde, and her father, Télesphore Gagnon. The story of l'enfant martyre received great attention in the media and Aurore became an icon of Quebec
sociological and popular culture.
, a small village on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River
, a hundred kilometers southwest of Quebec. The Gagnons' first child Marie-Jeanne was born in August 1907. Aurore's birth in 1909 was followed by that of Georges in 1910 and Joseph in 1915.
In 1916, not long after Joseph's birth, Marie-Anne Caron was hospitalized with tuberculosis
. Marie-Anne Houde, the widow of a cousin of Télesphore, soon moved into the Gagnon home, claiming she wanted to "take care of the house and children." She was a 30-something-year-old mother of two sons, Gerard and Henri-Georges. She was born in Sainte-Sophie-de-Lévrard, a neighboring municipality of Fortierville, Quebec
. On 6 November 1917, 2-year-old Joseph was found dead in his bed. A coroner's inquest revealed that it had been a natural death, although some villagers suspected that Marie-Anne Houde might have had something to do with it.
On 23 January 1918, Marie-Anne Caron died of tuberculosis
at the Beauport Asylum. The next week, Télesphore Gagnon married Marie-Anne Houde. Although villagers were suspicious when two of her children subsequently died, there was no investigation. Meanwhile, Télesphore was beating Aurore with an axe handle. At age 10 in September 1919, Aurore was hospitalized for more than a month at the Hôtel-Dieu de Québec
with a severe leg infection
caused by a beating. Upon her release, the beatings resumed.
When Aurore died on February 12, 1920, the cause was listed as poisoning. It was not immediately known if she had been poisoned deliberately or if she had succumbed to an infection from her many wounds. Télesphore Gagnon and Marie-Anne Houde were arrested as they tried to leave the church after her funeral on February 19, 1920. Marie-Anne Houde was sentenced to be hanged for murder
, but her sentence was commuted to life imprisonment
. After serving 15 years she was paroled for "health reasons," and she died of breast cancer
in May 1936. Télesphore Gagnon was convicted of manslaughter
and sentenced to life imprisonment
, but he was released from prison in 1925 for "good behaviour" after serving only 5 years. He returned to his hometown and his previous life, where he wrote several letters to Marie-Anne Houde, still in prison.
After Marie-Anne Houde's death, Télesphore remarried. He died peacefully in 1961.
in Quebec, with almost mythical status. Numerous books have been published detailing her life. In 1920, the first dramatic production was written by Louis Petitjean; it quickly became his most famous play. Télesphore Gagnon tried unsuccessfully to block the release of the 1952 film.
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
. She died of exhaustion and blood poisoning from some 52 wounds inflicted by her stepmother, Marie-Anne Houde, and her father, Télesphore Gagnon. The story of l'enfant martyre received great attention in the media and Aurore became an icon of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
sociological and popular culture.
History/Chronology of events
Aurore Gagnon was the second of four children of farmer Télesphore Gagnon and his first wife Marie-Anne Caron, whom he married in September 1906. In Fortierville, QuebecFortierville, Quebec
Fortierville is a municipality in the Centre-du-Québec region of the province of Quebec in Canada....
, a small village on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
, a hundred kilometers southwest of Quebec. The Gagnons' first child Marie-Jeanne was born in August 1907. Aurore's birth in 1909 was followed by that of Georges in 1910 and Joseph in 1915.
In 1916, not long after Joseph's birth, Marie-Anne Caron was hospitalized with tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. Marie-Anne Houde, the widow of a cousin of Télesphore, soon moved into the Gagnon home, claiming she wanted to "take care of the house and children." She was a 30-something-year-old mother of two sons, Gerard and Henri-Georges. She was born in Sainte-Sophie-de-Lévrard, a neighboring municipality of Fortierville, Quebec
Fortierville, Quebec
Fortierville is a municipality in the Centre-du-Québec region of the province of Quebec in Canada....
. On 6 November 1917, 2-year-old Joseph was found dead in his bed. A coroner's inquest revealed that it had been a natural death, although some villagers suspected that Marie-Anne Houde might have had something to do with it.
On 23 January 1918, Marie-Anne Caron died of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
at the Beauport Asylum. The next week, Télesphore Gagnon married Marie-Anne Houde. Although villagers were suspicious when two of her children subsequently died, there was no investigation. Meanwhile, Télesphore was beating Aurore with an axe handle. At age 10 in September 1919, Aurore was hospitalized for more than a month at the Hôtel-Dieu de Québec
Hôtel-Dieu de Québec
The Hotel-Dieu de Québec is a teaching hospital located in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada and affiliated with Université Laval's medical school. It is part of the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec , a network of three teaching hospitals and several specialized institutions. Its areas of...
with a severe leg infection
Infection
An infection is the colonization of a host organism by parasite species. Infecting parasites seek to use the host's resources to reproduce, often resulting in disease...
caused by a beating. Upon her release, the beatings resumed.
When Aurore died on February 12, 1920, the cause was listed as poisoning. It was not immediately known if she had been poisoned deliberately or if she had succumbed to an infection from her many wounds. Télesphore Gagnon and Marie-Anne Houde were arrested as they tried to leave the church after her funeral on February 19, 1920. Marie-Anne Houde was sentenced to be hanged for murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, but her sentence was commuted to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
. After serving 15 years she was paroled for "health reasons," and she died of breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
in May 1936. Télesphore Gagnon was convicted of manslaughter
Manslaughter
Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
and sentenced to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
, but he was released from prison in 1925 for "good behaviour" after serving only 5 years. He returned to his hometown and his previous life, where he wrote several letters to Marie-Anne Houde, still in prison.
After Marie-Anne Houde's death, Télesphore remarried. He died peacefully in 1961.
Culture
Aurore Gagnon remains a popular cultural iconCultural icon
A cultural icon can be a symbol, logo, picture, name, face, person, building or other image that is readily recognized and generally represents an object or concept with great cultural significance to a wide cultural group...
in Quebec, with almost mythical status. Numerous books have been published detailing her life. In 1920, the first dramatic production was written by Louis Petitjean; it quickly became his most famous play. Télesphore Gagnon tried unsuccessfully to block the release of the 1952 film.
Films
- La petite Aurore: l'enfant martyreLa Petite Aurore: l'enfant martyre (film)La petite Aurore: l'enfant martyre is a French 1952 Quebec biographical drama movie that was directed by Jean-Yves Bigras and produced by Renaissance Films Distribution and Warner Bros....
, released in 1952. - AuroreAurore (film)Aurore is a 2005 Quebec biographical drama movie that was directed by Luc Dionne and produced by Denise Robert and Daniel Louis. The movie is a remake of Jean-Yves Bigras's 1952 movie La petite Aurore: l'enfant martyre. Aurore is a 2005 Quebec biographical drama movie that was directed by Luc...
, released in 2005.
External links
- Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
- Aurore! The Mystery of the Martyred Child – Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History
- Genealogy : Aurore Gagnon