Dutroux convicted of girls' murder

The most hated man in Belgium, paedophile Marc Dutroux, was today convicted of the murder of girls he kidnapped and tortured.

It was a case that had horrified the country for nearly a decade and led to reforms of the judiciary and police.

In the first of 243 counts, the 12 member jury convicted Dutroux of responsibility for kidnapping and holding hostage six girls, leading to torture and deaths.

It found he was the leader of a band responsible for the crimes.

He was then convicted of three murders: An Marchal, 17, and Eefje Lambrecks, 19, and an alleged accomplice.

Relatives of the 47-year-old monster’s victims said they were hoping for closure.

“I don’t think this has helped me with the grieving process, but at least I will know that my granddaughter is avenged,” said Jeanine Lejeune, whose eight-year-old granddaughter was one of the first to disappear.

Dutroux, 47, and his three co-defendants were not inside the court in Arlon to hear the verdicts to avoid any potential pressure or influence on the jurors.

Once all 243 verdicts were given by the eight woman, four man, jury they were to be brought in.

Dutroux had admitted to kidnapping and sexually abusing two girls – Sabine Dardenne, then 12, and Laetitia Delhez, then 14 – who were rescued from a basement prison in his house two days before his arrest in August 1996.

But he denied killing An and Eefje as well as an alleged accomplice, Bernard Weinstein.

He also denied involvement in the kidnapping and deaths of two eight-year-olds, Julie Lejeune and Melissa Russo, both of whom starved to death in his basement in early 1996 while he was serving a short jail term for car theft.

Also charged were Dutroux’s ex-wife, Michelle Martin, and two other alleged accomplices Michel Lelievre and Michel Nihoul.

Martin apologised to the court for not feeding Julie and Melissa, while Dutroux was in jail for four months for car theft.

Lelievre admits kidnapping but not raping or killing Marchal and Lambrecks, while the other co-defendant Michel Nihoul denies involvement in the kidnappings.

Dutroux faces up to life in prison, while Martin and Lelievre face possible maximum 30-year sentences and Nihoul 20 years if found guilty.

In Belgium, no appeal against a jury verdict is possible, except on procedural grounds. In that case, the Cour de Cassation, the supreme court, reviews the verdict.

Dutroux had sought to paint himself as the pawn of a still-hidden crime ring that was kidnapping young girls in eastern Europe to become prostitutes – a scenario rejected by prosecutors, who said they found no evidence.

Dutroux accused co-defendant Nihoul of being his link to the syndicate, a charge Nihoul denied.