Maria Popesco, wife of Victor Popescu (September 4, 1919 – 2004), was a

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

n-born

socialite A socialite is a person from a wealthy and (possibly) aristocratic background, who is prominent in high society. A socialite generally spends a significant amount of time attending various fashionable social gatherings, instead of having traditio ...

, convicted murderer and

memoirist A memoir (; , ) is any nonfiction narrative writing based in the author's personal memories. The assertions made in the work are thus understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autobiog ...

, whose case was at the center of one of the few miscarriages of justice in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. Born in

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...

and the daughter in law of Stelian Popescu, a political figure and former Justice Minister, Popesco was arrested in 1945 in

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

and accused of having murdered her mother in law Lelia Popescu (on June 26, 1945) and her maid Lina Mory (died on July 25, 1945), and for an assassination attempt against her father in law. She was sentenced to life imprisonment, even though critics believe that her guilt has never been proven. Particularly

Georges Brunschvig Georges Brunschvig (21 February 1908 – 14 October 1973) was a Swiss lawyer and president of the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities (SIG). Internationally, he is best known for representing the plaintiff in the 1934–35 "Berne Trial". ...

and Anton Gordonoff, two main scientific experts in the case, accused the involved

François Naville François Naville (14 June 1883 – 3 April 1968) was a Swiss physician and director of the medico-legal Institute of the University of Geneva. He was the only truly neutral expert participating in the international Katyn Commission investiga ...

for wrong arguments concerning the confusion between Veronal and Quadronox. She was finally amnestied in 1957. The following years Popescu wrote her memoires; she married, lived in Valais and had a son.

Contemporary researches

According to the journalist Jean-Noël Cuénod this case was one of the seven most spectacular trials in

, among others like Sissi (

Empress Elisabeth of Austria Duchess Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie in Bavaria (24 December 1837 – 10 September 1898) was Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary from her marriage to Emperor Franz Joseph I on 24 April 1854 until her assassination in 1898. Elisabeth was ...

Léon Nicole Léon Nicole (10 April 1887 in Montcherand, Vaud – 28 June 1965 in Geneva) was a prominent trade unionist, journalist, politician and member of the Grand Council of Geneva and the National Council (Switzerland), Swiss National Council. In 1933, ...

Georges Oltramare Georges Oltramare (born 17 April 1896 in Geneva – died 16 August 1960 in Geneva) was a Swiss writer and fascist politician who became involved in collaboration in Nazi-occupied France. Born into a leading Geneva family, he obtained a ''demi-li ...

, Pierre Jaccoud et

Frédéric Dard Frédéric Dard (Frédéric Charles Antoine Dard; 29 June 1921, in Bourgoin-Jallieu, Isère, France – 6 June 2000, in Bonnefontaine, Fribourg, Switzerland) was a French crime writer. He wrote more than three hundred novels, plays and screenplays ...

.http://archives.tdg.ch/TG/TG/-/article-1999-12-1052/sept-proces-qui-ont-marque-le-siecleedition-dans-son-livre-jean-noel-cuenod-evoque-les-grandes

Works

*Maria Popesco. "Entre deux mercredis" Éditions La Baconnière, 1961. 198 pages. *Maria Popescu. "Von Mittwoch bis Mittwoch" Éditions Paul Haupt, 1961. Traduction: Bee Juker. ASIN B0000BMFY8 *Maria Popescu. "Între două miercuri" Éditions Corint, 2018. Traduction: Rodica Vintilă. * William Matthey-Claudet. " Une erreur judicière? L' Affaire Popesco" Imprimerie Montandon & Cie, Fleurier (Ntel). *

Antoine Jacques Henri Antoine Jacques (1782 Chelles, Seine-et-Marne – 1866) was a French nurseryman specialising in roses, and noted for having introduced the Bourbon Group of roses from Île Bourbon to France. It was illustrated by Pierre-Joseph Redouté ...

& Pierre Bellemare. "Les Dossiers Extraordinaires de Pierre Bellmare" Éditions Fayard, 1976. * Yolanda Eminescu. "Din Istoria Marilor Procese" Éditions Junimea, Iasi, 1992. * Jean-Noël Cuenod. "De l'Assassinat de Sissi à l'Acquittement de Mikhaïlov, Un siècle de Procès à Genève" Éditions Tribune de Genève, 1999.

References

External links

* 1919 births 2004 deaths Romanian expatriates in Switzerland Romanian memoirists Romanian people convicted of murder Romanian prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment Romanian people imprisoned abroad Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Switzerland People convicted of murder by Switzerland Women memoirists Writers from Bucharest 20th-century memoirists {{switzerland-bio-stub