 |
Marc Dutroux | |
|---|---|
 Pencil sketch of Marc Dutroux | |
| Born | Marc Paul Alain Dutroux 6 November 1956 |
| Criminal status | Imprisoned (solitary confinement) |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 5 |
| Conviction(s) |
|
| Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment |
| Partner(s) |
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| Details | |
| Victims | 4+ murders, 11+ rapes |
| Date | 19??–1986, 1995–1996 |
| Country | Belgium |
| Killed | 5 |
Date apprehended | 13 August 1996 |
| Imprisoned at | Prison of Nivelles |
Marc Paul Alain Dutroux[1] (French: [dytʀu]; born 6 November 1956) is a Belgian convicted serial killer, serial rapist, and child molester. Initially convicted for the abduction and rape of five young girls in 1989, Dutroux was released on parole after just three years' imprisonment.[2] He was arrested again in 1996 on suspicion of having abducted, tortured, and sexually abused six girls aged between 8 and 19, four of whom were killed. Dutroux's widely publicized trial ended with his conviction on all charges in 2004; he was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment.
Dutroux's accomplices included his wife, Michelle Martin; Michel Lelièvre; Michel Nihoul; and Bernard Weinstein. Martin was convicted and sentenced to thirty years in prison, while Lelièvre was sentenced to twenty-five years. Nihoul, "a Brussels businessman, pub-owner and familiar face at sex parties,"[3] was initially tried as an accomplice to the kidnappings but was acquitted owing to insufficient evidence; he was instead convicted of involvement in a gang that participated in human and drug trafficking, and was sentenced to five years in prison.[4] Weinstein was never tried as he was murdered by Dutroux before being identified as an accomplice.
The lenient result of Dutroux's first prosecution, as well as shortcomings on the part of the police in investigating his murders, caused widespread discontent in Belgium with the country's criminal justice system, resulting in the complete reorganisation of Belgium's law enforcement agencies. In the White March held on 20 October 1996, 300,000 Belgian citizens protested the mishandling of the case.
- ^ "Het mirakel van Marcinelle" [The miracle of Marcinelle]. Het Nieuwsblad (in Flemish). 31 January 2004. Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
- ^ https://cwasu.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Confronting-An-Atrocity.pdf Archived 23 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine [bare URL PDF]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
guardianwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Notorious child rapist-murderer convicted". NBC News. 17 June 2004. Archived from the original on 23 June 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2020.