Soon after, Duriel was apprehended, and Jean Grillon's father was summoned for questioning.
Notably, much of the testimony provided by Grillon’s father and stepmother aligned closely with Jean’s own confessions. Acting on Jean’s statements, the judge ordered an investigation, which verified numerous details he had provided, including specific children he had attacked, the precise times and locations, and the methods of assault. Marguerite was brought into court to confront Jean, and he immediately identified her wounds, admitting they were inflicted by his own teeth.
Jean’s father was also brought to trial. The interrogation lasted for an extended period, during which Jean began to waver, altering parts of his earlier statements about his father and admitting to fabricating certain details.
When the trial concluded, the truth became evident. The court determined that Jean had indeed murdered and devoured several children and had attempted to attack others. However, there was insufficient evidence to implicate his father as a werewolf, leading to his ultimate acquittal.
Before the final verdict was rendered, a lawyer delivered a passionate plea, arguing that while Jean might have engaged in witchcraft or sold his soul to the devil, he was, after all, just a child with an undeveloped mind. At times, he even displayed signs of idiocy. The lawyer posited that the so-called lycanthropy was merely an illusion—a manifestation of psychological disturbance. Though Jean genuinely believed himself to transform into a wolf, it was, in reality, a delusion caused by his mental instability. The lawyer urged the judge to refrain from imposing criminal penalties.
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Moved by this argument, the court sentenced Jean Grillon to lifelong confinement in the Bordeaux monastery, where he was to receive moral and intellectual education. It was stipulated that any attempt to escape would result in immediate execution, with no chance of clemency.
To the monks at the monastery, Jean proved to be an unusual addition. Upon his arrival, he dashed wildly about the courtyard like a madman, consuming anything edible he could find with alarming speed.
Seven years later, Derangler visited Jean and found him unchanged—small of stature, withdrawn, and perpetually avoiding direct eye contact. His sunken eyes darted restlessly, and his prominent teeth and darkened fingernails added to his eerie appearance. In conversation, Derangler noted Jean’s mind remained barren; he could not grasp even the simplest concepts. Upon seeing Derangler, Jean eagerly recounted his tales of life in the forest, expressing a continued craving for raw meat, particularly that of young girls. He confessed that, were it not for his confinement, he would have already escaped to prey on children again. Jean claimed to have been visited twice by the forest god but said he had driven the entity away with a crucifix.
Jean lived to the age of 20, spending seven years in captivity. He died not long after Derangler’s visit.
In both the cases of Rolette and Grillon, the judges attributed the root cause to mental illness. They concluded these individuals had not truly transformed into wolves but were victims of psychological disorders that led them to believe so. Consequently, the courts prescribed psychological treatment rather than imprisonment.
Yet for many, the mere thought of such bloodthirsty individuals, capable of attacking others with animalistic ferocity, sent chills down their spines. The prospect of these individuals escaping their asylums loomed as a terrifying possibility.
