On January 16, 1960, a 77-year-old woman in Toulon, France, was reportedly attacked by her husband after years of severe paralysis. What happened next became an extraordinary medical story.
The woman, Marie, had been unable to walk or move normally for two years. Her husband, Julien Opa, had become her full-time caregiver. He was exhausted and believed he could no longer continue caring for her.
That night, Julien attempted to kill his wife and then himself. But his plan failed in an unexpected way. The knife struck Marie in the head instead of where he intended.
Marie survived the injury. More surprisingly, she stood up and began screaming.
Doctors later concluded that her paralysis had not been caused by physical damage. Instead, they believed it had a psychological cause. The extreme shock of the attack appeared to break the mental barrier that had prevented her from moving.
Marie’s Life Changed After Her Illness
Marie was 77 years old when the incident occurred.
Two years earlier, she had developed a mysterious illness that left her severely paralyzed. She could speak and move her eyes, but she had very little control over the rest of her body.
She could sometimes move her shoulders with great effort, but she could not walk or care for herself.
Her condition meant she needed constant help.
Her husband, Julien, became her main caregiver.
Julien Became Her Full-Time Caregiver
Caring for someone who cannot move independently can affect every part of daily life.
Julien had to help Marie with basic needs, including eating, hygiene, and using a bedpan. He also prepared their meals and looked after their home.
The responsibility became increasingly difficult for him.
According to the account, Julien felt that caring for Marie had taken over his entire life. He also believed that Marie’s condition had left her with a poor quality of life.
By January 1960, he had decided that he could no longer continue.
He also believed that Marie would not be able to survive without him.
The Final Evening
On the afternoon of January 16, Julien returned to their apartment in Toulon after buying groceries.
He began preparing dinner as usual.
Marie then called him from the bedroom.
She needed help because she had used the bedpan while he was away. Julien changed her and continued with the evening routine.
Later, he prepared dinner and fed both of them.
Afterward, he cleaned up and sat beside Marie in bed.
He read to her, as he reportedly did every night.
When she became sleepy, he adjusted her pillows so she could rest comfortably. He then turned off the lamp and left the bedroom.
But Julien had already made his decision.
Julien’s Plan Went Wrong
Julien went to a closet and took out a rope. He prepared it in the bathroom as part of his plan to take his own life.
He then took a knife from the kitchen.
He returned to the bedroom and stood beside Marie as she slept.
For several moments, he reportedly struggled with what he was about to do.
Eventually, he raised the knife.
But Julien was extremely nervous and shaking.
When he struck, he missed the area he intended to hit.
Instead, the knife struck Marie in the side of the head.
She survived.
And the injury produced an astonishing reaction.
Marie Suddenly Stood Up
The attack woke Marie.
She began screaming.
But there was something else that shocked everyone who saw her.
Marie was standing.
She had reportedly been unable to walk for two years.
Her neighbor, Roger Monuso, heard her screams through the walls.
He immediately ran to the apartment and began banging on the door.
Nobody answered.
The screaming continued.
Roger eventually forced his way inside.
He followed the screams to the bedroom.
What he saw left him stunned.
Marie was standing in the room.
She was holding her head after being injured, but she was on her feet.
Doctors Investigated the Paralysis
Marie was taken for medical treatment after the attack.
The unusual part of the case was that doctors did not simply assume her previous paralysis had been fake.
According to the account, medical examinations showed that her inability to move had been genuine.
But doctors concluded that the paralysis was psychological rather than the result of physical damage.
The condition was attributed to a severe psychological block.
Today, conditions involving neurological symptoms without an identifiable structural neurological cause are understood differently and can fall under disorders such as functional neurological disorder (FND). However, modern medical terminology and diagnostic standards should not automatically be applied to a historical case without reviewing the original medical records.
Could Shock Really Cause Her to Walk?
The story claims that the violent shock of the attack somehow removed the psychological block that had prevented Marie from moving.
The idea is that her brain’s response to the extreme situation temporarily changed her ability to move.
There are documented cases in medicine where psychological factors can produce real physical symptoms, including weakness or paralysis. Symptoms can also sometimes improve suddenly.
But that does not mean a traumatic injury is a legitimate or safe treatment.
The story should therefore be understood as a historical medical anecdote, not as evidence that physical violence can cure paralysis.
What Happened to Julien?
Julien was horrified by what he had done.
After attacking Marie, he went to the bathroom and attempted to hang himself.
But Marie’s screams brought Roger into the apartment within minutes.
Roger found Julien and managed to cut him down and revive him.
Both husband and wife survived the night.
The account ends with the remarkable fact that Marie was able to stand after years of paralysis.
A Medical Mystery With a Troubling Ending
The story of Julien and Marie is unusual because it combines a violent crime, a failed suicide attempt, and a sudden change in a long-standing medical condition.
The most important medical point is not that the stabbing “cured” Marie.
Rather, the reported case suggests that her paralysis may have been linked to psychological factors rather than permanent physical damage.
Modern medicine recognizes that the brain and body can interact in complex ways. Psychological processes can produce genuine physical symptoms, and those symptoms can sometimes change dramatically.
But the events surrounding Marie’s recovery were tragic and dangerous.
A violent attack is never a medical treatment.
The story remains striking because of the question it raises: How can a person who has been unable to walk for years suddenly stand and move again?
In Marie’s case, the answer was reportedly connected not to damage being repaired, but to a psychological barrier that suddenly changed after an extreme shock.