Agnes of God

During evening prayers, the nuns hear screams from Sister Agnes's room. Agnes is found bleeding and a dead infant is discovered in a basket by Mother Superior Miriam. The shocking events set in motion the investigation and Agnes's arrest for manslaughter.

Sister Agnes is charged with manslaughter over the infant's death. Court psychiatrist Martha Livingston is assigned to determine if she is competent to stand trial. The case hinges on whether Agnes truly understands pregnancy and birth, or if her claimed naivety is a defense.

In an initial interview, Agnes claims she does not remember being pregnant or giving birth and shows little understanding of how babies are conceived. Mother Miriam cautions Livingston that Agnes is innocent who was kept at home and sheltered from the world. The exchange hints at a mother daughter dynamic intended to protect a troubled girl.

Mother Miriam tells Livingston that Agnes is innocent and could not have known what pregnancy was or who the father might be. She emphasizes that she kept Agnes naive to shield her from harsh truths. This testimony casts doubt on Agnes's own memory.

Mother Miriam recalls an episode where Agnes stopped eating, fearing she was getting fat, and then displayed stigmata on her hand that healed within a day. The episode is used to illustrate Agnes's extraordinary experiences rather than ordinary medical or sexual knowledge. Livingston weighs how such phenomena relate to Agnes's mental state.

Agnes describes her friendship with Sister Marie-Paul, the oldest nun, who showed her a secret place, the bell tower. Agnes later guides Livingston to the bell tower, suggesting a hidden world within the convent. The secret place becomes a symbol of Agnes's concealed knowledge and possible trauma.

Mother Miriam asserts that Agnes conceived on January 23, the night she burned her bedsheets confessing they were stained. She argues this proves a hidden pregnancy contrary to Agnes's claimed naivety. Livingston uses this to probe the timeline but remains cautious about the truth.

Livingston, while exploring the grounds, discovers a workroom with a concealed staircase leading to a tunnel that opens to the barn. An archivist explains that many old convents have secret tunnels to move between buildings during winter. The tunnel provides a hidden route that could connect Agnes's room to the barn.

Mother Miriam attempts to have Livingston removed from the case, but Livingston appeals to court authorities and is retained. The power struggle shows the clash between institutional protection and investigative pursuit. The confrontation underscores the pressure to keep convent secrets.

Livingston obtains a second court order to hypnotize Agnes. Under hypnosis, Agnes admits that she did give birth and that another woman in the convent knew about the pregnancy, but she refuses to identify the person. The revelation deepens the mystery of hidden involvement within the convent.

Under questioning during hypnosis, Agnes describes that on the night Sister Marie-Paul died, she was told by a presence to meet Him in the barn. She experiences a possibly real encounter that culminates in stigmata and heavy bleeding. She declares that Him raped her and that she hates God.

Agnes is found not guilty by reason of insanity and is returned to the convent, where a doctor can visit periodically. The court's decision reflects doubt about Agnes's culpability and the nature of her experiences. The verdict preserves the convent's status while ensuring ongoing care.

The judge notes that Agnes heard a voice singing beneath her bedroom window for six nights, and on the seventh night, a male figure lay on top of her. The implication is that she may have been raped by a trespasser, complicating the interpretation of her pregnancy and trauma. The final image leaves uncertainty about the true source of her experiences.