She was not a traitor. She was not a spy. But on August 18, 1944

She was not a traitor. She was not a spy. But on August 18, 1944, she was dragged through the streets, her head shaved, holding her child — punished because of love.
This powerful photo was taken by famous war photographer Robert Capa in Chartres, France, during the freeing of the country from Nazi control. The woman is Simone Touseau, only 23 years old, humiliated in public — accused of having a relationship with a German soldier.
She held her baby daughter, who was fathered by that soldier — quietly showing her mother’s shame.
What happened to Simone was not unusual. After the war, about 20,000 French women were punished — many without any trial, many shamed in public, some hurt badly. It was revenge made to look like justice — a nation trying to heal by blaming its own people.
Simone was never proven to have helped the enemy. But her relationship and her child were enough to decide her fate. After that day, she lived alone, quietly hurting, and died in 1966 at age 44.
History remembers wars. But it often forgets the pain that hides behind victory.