Defence enters final pleas in Dutroux case

Defence lawyers entered final pleas today ahead of the sentencing of Marc Dutroux as Belgium awaited closure of a child rape and murder trial that horrified the nation.

Prosecutors have asked the court in the southeastern Belgian town of Arlon to send Dutroux to prison for the rest of his life, calling him a psychopath and unrepentant paedophile who threatened to strike again.

Dutroux, aged 47, was convicted last week of kidnapping, raping and killing young girls in 1995-96.

He kept his victims locked in his basement, which had been converted into a dungeon.

Final statements by lawyers for two co-defendants – Michel Lelievre and Michel Nihoul – were being delivered today before the 12-member jury and three-judge panel retire to deliberate sentencing.

A decision was expected late today.

Dubbed Belgium’s “trial of the century,” the case of Dutroux and his network outraged the country – first for the depravity of the crimes, and then the inept police work surrounding the investigation.

The public was shocked to learn that police searched Dutroux’s house in 1995 but failed to find the secret basement cell, even though they heard voices. A second search was also unsuccessful.

Dutroux had previously been convicted for paedophilia and was on parole for raping schoolgirls in 1989 when he was arrested in 1996 on suspicions of kidnapping six other girls.

He was convicted last week for those kidnappings and imprisoning and raping the girls, killing two of them.

He was also convicted for involvement in the abduction of two eight-year-olds, Julie Lejeune and Melissa Russo, who died of starvation in his basement.