CRIMINAL MASTERMINDS (True Crime) by Anne Williams, Vivian Head, Sebastian Prooth Read Free Book Online Page B
ensued, was the root of French problems. In 1420, Charles VI (controlled by his wife) disinherited his son, the Dauphin Charles VII, allowing a peace treaty with England that named Henry V as heir to the French throne. However, this was an unpopular decision. Many people in France considered the Dauphin to be the rightful heir to the throne, due to his father’s insanity. Among the Dauphin’s supporters were Jean d’Craon and Gilles de Rais. Gilles was Prince Regent at Chinon at the time and benefitted from the support of the Dauphin.
In 1429, a seventeen-year-old peasant girl called at Chinon demanding to see the Dauphin. She was a strange girl who claimed to have heard the voices of saints telling her she must go and relieve the besieged city of Orleans and deliver the throne to Charles. This young girl was Joan of Arc. Despite the fact that Charles thought she was mad, he decided it was worth a try and gave her an army. Charles told Gilles to accompany Joan on her mission, possibly because he noticed that Gilles seemed infatuated by the girl’s boyish figure.
Gilles fought by Joan of Arc’s side at Orleans and again at Patay, both times defeating the English army. By the time Gilles was twenty-four he had become a national hero.
At the coronation of Charles VII, Gilles was bestowed with the honour of collecting the holy oil with which the new king would be anointed. Gilles was appointed Marshal of France and was permitted to wear the fleur-de-lys in his coat of arms, in theory making him France’s highest-ranking soldier. Little did anyone realise that just two years later Gilles’ life of bloodlust and perversion would rear its ugly head.
GILLES THE MONSTER
After the coronation of Charles VII, Gilles retired to look after his estates, but after the life of glory in the army, it appears he found the life incredibly dull. It is thought that his first sexual murder occurred in 1431, and from then on his thirst for blood could not be quenched. Jean d’Craon, who seems to have suspected what was going on, died in 1432, which left Gilles with a completely free rein to do exactly as he wished. Gilles de Rais turned into a monster. He would lure young boys to his castle on some false pretext and then take them down to his ‘chamber’. Here he would hang them from a ceiling on a rope or chain until they were barely conscious. Then he would take them down, assuring them that he meant no harm, and then Gilles would strip and rape them. After the sexual act, Gilles would cut their throat and decapitate them with a special sword called a braquemard . Unable to satisfy his sexual appetite, Gilles would then further abuse the dead body until he finally obtained satisfaction. After he had an orgasm, Gilles would collapse into a faint and had to be carried off to bed by one of his servants, where he would remain unconscious for several hours. While he slept, his accomplices would dispose of the body.
One of the youths that was brought to the castle was a young lad called Poitou. He was raped, but as Gilles prepared to cut his throat one of his servants pointed out that Poitou was such a handsome boy it would be worth saving his life and keeping him as a servant. Gilles agreed and so the life of Poitou was saved and he became one of his most trusted pages.
Gilles seemed to be transfixed by the act of dying, and with a macabre fascination he would watch the blood trickle down a child’s neck until he became aroused. This type of depravity continued unabated for years, taking the lives of countless innocent children, until he was on the verge of ruin.
BLACK MAGIC
On top of his depravity, Gilles de Rais was also an uncontrollable spendthrift. He loved to hold lavish banquets lording over the proceedings like a Roman emperor. In a period of three years, he had spent what would be the equivalent of millions of pounds, which meant he had to start selling off some of his more valuable estates to fund his excessive
In 1429, a seventeen-year-old peasant girl called at Chinon demanding to see the Dauphin. She was a strange girl who claimed to have heard the voices of saints telling her she must go and relieve the besieged city of Orleans and deliver the throne to Charles. This young girl was Joan of Arc. Despite the fact that Charles thought she was mad, he decided it was worth a try and gave her an army. Charles told Gilles to accompany Joan on her mission, possibly because he noticed that Gilles seemed infatuated by the girl’s boyish figure.
Gilles fought by Joan of Arc’s side at Orleans and again at Patay, both times defeating the English army. By the time Gilles was twenty-four he had become a national hero.
At the coronation of Charles VII, Gilles was bestowed with the honour of collecting the holy oil with which the new king would be anointed. Gilles was appointed Marshal of France and was permitted to wear the fleur-de-lys in his coat of arms, in theory making him France’s highest-ranking soldier. Little did anyone realise that just two years later Gilles’ life of bloodlust and perversion would rear its ugly head.
GILLES THE MONSTER
After the coronation of Charles VII, Gilles retired to look after his estates, but after the life of glory in the army, it appears he found the life incredibly dull. It is thought that his first sexual murder occurred in 1431, and from then on his thirst for blood could not be quenched. Jean d’Craon, who seems to have suspected what was going on, died in 1432, which left Gilles with a completely free rein to do exactly as he wished. Gilles de Rais turned into a monster. He would lure young boys to his castle on some false pretext and then take them down to his ‘chamber’. Here he would hang them from a ceiling on a rope or chain until they were barely conscious. Then he would take them down, assuring them that he meant no harm, and then Gilles would strip and rape them. After the sexual act, Gilles would cut their throat and decapitate them with a special sword called a braquemard . Unable to satisfy his sexual appetite, Gilles would then further abuse the dead body until he finally obtained satisfaction. After he had an orgasm, Gilles would collapse into a faint and had to be carried off to bed by one of his servants, where he would remain unconscious for several hours. While he slept, his accomplices would dispose of the body.
One of the youths that was brought to the castle was a young lad called Poitou. He was raped, but as Gilles prepared to cut his throat one of his servants pointed out that Poitou was such a handsome boy it would be worth saving his life and keeping him as a servant. Gilles agreed and so the life of Poitou was saved and he became one of his most trusted pages.
Gilles seemed to be transfixed by the act of dying, and with a macabre fascination he would watch the blood trickle down a child’s neck until he became aroused. This type of depravity continued unabated for years, taking the lives of countless innocent children, until he was on the verge of ruin.
BLACK MAGIC
On top of his depravity, Gilles de Rais was also an uncontrollable spendthrift. He loved to hold lavish banquets lording over the proceedings like a Roman emperor. In a period of three years, he had spent what would be the equivalent of millions of pounds, which meant he had to start selling off some of his more valuable estates to fund his excessive
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