Aurore

Aurore Gagnon (May 31, 1909 - February 12, 1920), was a victim of child abuse in the town of Fortierville, Quebec. 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.
Aurore Gagnon was the second of four children of Marie-Anne Caron and Télesphore Gagnon, a farmer. After Marie-Anne Caron was hospitalized with tuberculosis in 1916, Telesphore's cousin's widow Marie-Anne Houde and her six children moved in with Télesphore Gagnon. On November 6, 1917, Aurore's younger brother Joseph Gagnon died at the age of two under mysterious circumstances.

A week after the death of his wife in 1918, Télesphore Gagnon married Marie-Anne Houde. Although villagers were suspicious when two of her children subsequently died, there was no investigation. Their abuse of Aurore escalated (Télesphore beat her with an axe handle). In September 1919, the ten-year-old Aurore was hospitalized for more than a month at the "Hôtel-Dieu de Québec" due to a severe leg infection caused by a beating. Released back into her parents' care, Aurore was beaten by Marie-Anne Houde until her death in 1920. The cause of death was said to be poison, not knowing if her death was because of infected wounds or if Aurore was poisoned to death.

Marie-Anne Houde was sentenced to be hanged for murder, but her sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. She was paroled for "health reasons" after serving fifteen years and died of breast and brain cancer in May 1936. Télesphore Gagnon was convicted of manslaughter and was released from prison for "good behaviour" after serving five years. He returned to his hometown where he remarried, and died peacefully in 1961.

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• Aurore
• Gangon

[Whit451]

Why was Aurore the only one who was beaten? Why weren't the other children beaten?

[catherinescreations]

@Whit451 I don't know why

[girlygirl6426]

@Whit451 actually...two of her siblings were killed by her step mom, but she said that they were accidental deaths.

[ga1owsCalibrator]

She wasnt the only one according to the movie, two children died as well before aurores beatings

[Elisabethmarieebest]

@Whit451 because the stepmother didnt like her mom, and she ''looked'' like her, I think :_

[ICPSlette85]

@Whit451 she was the only one beaten because the father informed the evil witch about how she was conceived (through a drunkn night) and everytime he looks at her he cant help but think of that night. and there were 2 ofher siblings that mysteriously died before the beatings started getin crazy

[EmmyRossumFan94]

@Whit451 There weren't other beaten two others died like she did.

[aurore5006]

Les enfants de la famille ont tous été battus mais Aurore à été maltraiter bien plus, elle en est morte. C'est atroce. Je ne peut pas regarder cette vidéo car cela évoque pour moi des mauvais souvenirs et surtout je n'arrive pas à regarder cette gamine souffrir (même si là il s'agit d'une actrice). Je suis heureuse de porter ce prénom, délaisse au Québec à cause du drame, je me dis que c'est un homage pour Aurore Gagnon. R.I.P Aurore (Et Joseph et Luciana).

[LexiLuv47]

@Whit451 I think it's because abusers usually target out one member of the family

[supersue97]

2 of her sibling also died in the hands of this insane women!

[Bolakoala]

That supposed that the father was more in love with his first wife. That's it. The new wife said that Aurore was a child of the deamon because of that.

[Bolakoala]

Because the new wife of Aurore's father was jealous of this child... The other people of the village was always saying how much Aurore had beautiful hair and that she was perfect and how much she was pretty and everything... The father said that Aurore was a special child with special convictions and a strong personnality because she has been created in the luxuries (alcohol and pleasure).