Is The Woman In The Wall Season 2024 A True Story? The Horrifying Details Behind It

Originally Protestant and later predominantly Roman Catholic, these laundries operated from the 18th to the late 20th centuries. They were intended for 'fallen women', a term encompassing prostitutes, unwed pregnant women, and those lacking family support. However, some women were incarcerated for trivial reasons, such as perceived beauty.

In the show, the protagonist Lorna is sent to a laundry at 15 for being pregnant. The nuns take her baby, leaving her traumatized and sleepwalking, a common aftermath of such experiences. Preparing for her role, Ruth Wilson expressed shock at the young women's treatment in these laundries, where they endured horrific conditions without basic medical care.

The Magdalene Laundries, named after the Biblical Mary Magdalene, were like workhouses with strict regimes. Women were forced into labor-intensive tasks like laundry and cleaning, coupled with silence and prayer. Operating for profit, these institutions paid the women nothing and provided no education. The youngest reported inmate was just nine years old.

In Ireland, the laundries thrived, with an estimated 30,000 women imprisoned over two centuries. The last laundry closed in 1996. Conditions were dire: women were locked in, often unaware of their release dates, given new names and numbers, and forced into uniformity with severe haircuts. Silence was mandatory, and friendships were generally forbidden. Family visits were rare and closely monitored.

Punishments for non-compliance ranged from meal deprivation and solitary confinement to physical abuse and degrading rituals.