Maria Popesco

Who was Maria Popesco?

Maria Popesco, wife of Victor Popescu, was a Romanian-born socialite, convicted murderer and memoirist, whose case was at the center of one of the few miscarriages of justice in Switzerland.

Born in Bucharest and the daughter in law of Stelian Popescu, a political figure and former Justice Minister, Popesco was arrested in 1945 in Geneva and accused for having murdered her mother in law Lelia Popescu and her maid Lina Mory, 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 and Anton Gordonoff, two main scientific experts in the case, accused the involved François Naville 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.