Has The System Gone Completely Mad?

[mrdee 1]

People sometimes say "it is better to be a criminal, as, when you are the victim of a crime, you come off second best".

 

How true that sometimes proves to be.

 

It is with disgust that I read an article in Het Laatste Nieuws (a Flemish newspaper) about the treatment of the imprisoned child molester and murderer (serial killer) Marc Dutroux, (Probably Belgium's most hated criminal).

 

Before getting into the article itself, it might be good to give a little bit of background information on Dutroux and his crimes, so that people would understand why the article in question is causing quite a bit of commotion.

 

The man Dutroux:

 

 

Marc Dutroux (born November 6, 1956) is a Belgian serial killer and child molester, convicted of having kidnapped, tortured and sexually abused six girls during 1995 and 1996, ranging in age from 8 to 19, four of whom he murdered. He was also convicted of having killed a suspected former accomplice, Bernard Weinstein, later proved insane. He was arrested in 1996 and has been in prison ever since. His widely publicised trial took place in 2004. A number of shortcomings in the Dutroux investigation caused widespread discontent in Belgium with the country's criminal justice system, and the ensuing scandal was one of the reasons for the reorganisation of Belgium's law enforcement agencies.

^{Source: Wikipedia}

His crimes in a bit more detail:

 

 

In February 1986, Dutroux and Michèle Martin (the woman he married in 1989, divorced in 2003, they had 3 children together) were arrested for abducting andraping five young girls. In April 1989, he was sentenced to thirteen and a half years in prison. Martin received a sentence of five years. Showing good behaviour in prison, Dutroux was released on parole in April 1992, having served only three years. On his release the parole board received a letter from Dutroux's own mother to the prison director, in which she stressed concern that he was keeping young girls captive in his house - which was essentially ignored.

Following his release from prison, Dutroux was able to convince a psychiatrist that he was psychiatrically disabled, resulting in a government pension. He also received prescriptions of sleeping pills and sedatives, which he would later use on his victims.

Julie Lejeune and Mélissa Russo (both aged eight) were kidnapped together from Grâce-Hollogne on June 24, 1995, probably by Dutroux, and imprisoned in Dutroux's cellar. Dutroux repeatedly sexually abused the girls and produced pornographic videos.

On August 22, 1995 Dutroux kidnapped 17-year-old An Marchal and 19-year-old Eefje Lambrechts who were on a camping trip in Ostend. He was probably assisted by his accomplice Michel Lelièvre, who was paid with drugs. Since the dungeon already contained Lejeune and Russo, Dutroux chained the girls to a bed in a room of his house. His wife was aware of all these activities. Dutroux killed the two girls several weeks later by drugging them and burying them alive at one of his properties in Jumet.

In late 1995, Dutroux was arrested by police for involvement in a stolen luxury car racket. He was held in custody for three months between December 6, 1995 and March 20, 1996. During this period, Lejeune and Russo starved to death in the dungeon. There is documented reports that police searched Dutroux's house on December 13, 1995 and again six days later in relation to his car theft charge. During this time, Julie Lejeune and Mélissa Russo were still alive in the basement dungeon, but the Police failed to discover them. Since the search was unrelated to kidnapping charges, police searching the house had no dogs or specialised equipment that may have discovered the girls' presence, and they failed to notice the significance of the freshly plastered and painted wall that concealed the dungeon, in an otherwise decrepit and dirty basement. While in the basement, officers heard children's cries, which they decided had come from the street outside.

Two months after his release, Dutroux, with help from Lelièvre, kidnapped 12-year-old Sabine Dardenne who was on her way to school on May 28, 1996. She was imprisoned by him, once again, in the dungeon where he had kept his previous victims.

On August 9, 1996, the two men kidnapped 14-year-old Laetitia Delhez when she was walking home, from a public swimming pool. But an eyewitness identified part of a license platewhich matched a vehicle registered to Dutroux. He, his wife and Lelièvre were all arrested on August 13, 1996. An initial search of his houses proved inconclusive. But two days later, Dutroux and Lelièvre both made confessions. Dutroux led the police to the basement dungeon where Dardenne and Delhez were found alive on August 15, 1996. In an interview conducted several years later, Dardenne revealed that Dutroux had told her that she had been kidnapped by a gang but her parents did not want to pay the ransom and the gang was planning to kill her. Dutroux said he saved her, and that he wasn't one of gang she should fear. He let her write letters to her family, which he read but never posted.

On August 17, 1996 Dutroux led police to another of his houses in Sars-la-Buissière (Hainaut). The bodies of Julie Lejeune and Mélissa Russo as well as another accomplice Bernard Weinstein were found in the garden. An autopsy found that the two girls had died from starvation. Dutroux said he had crushed Weinstein's testicles until he gave him money, he then drugged him and buried him alive. Later Dutroux told the police where to find the bodies of An Marchal and Eefje Lambrechts. They were located on September 3, 1996 in Jumet (Hainaut), buried under a shack next to a house owned by Dutroux. Weinstein had lived in that house for three years.

Hundreds of commercial adult pornographic videos, along with a large number of home-made sex films that Dutroux had made with his wife Michelle Martin were recovered from his properties.

Investigations and trial:

​A number of errors (cover-up or human error? This was never specified further) were made during the investigation:

While investigations went on against Dutroux for car theft, Julie and Mélissa were still alive in their cell, but they were never found, since that particular investigation was unrelated to kidnapping charges, police searching the house had no dogs or specialised equipment that may have discovered the girls' presence, and they failed to notice the significance of the freshly plastered and painted wall that concealed the dungeon, in an otherwise decrepit and dirty basement. While in the basement, officers heard children's cries, which they decided had come from the street outside.

Several incidents suggested that Dutroux's intentions were not properly followed-up. Dutroux had offered money to a police informer for providing girls, and told him that he was constructing a cell in his basement.

His mother also wrote a second letter to the police, claiming that he held girls captive in his houses.

It is obvious that, under these circumstances, there was widespread anger and frustration in the country, du to the slowness with which the investigations were conducted and the police errors.

When the judge in charge was dismissed, it lead to a massive protest march of 300,000 people in Brussels in October 1996, during this march, demands were also made for reforms in the police and justice system.

A Parliamentary Investigation in February 1998 concluded that Dutroux did not have accomplices in high places, but that he took advantage of corruption, sloppiness and incompetence.

In April of the same year, there was commotion again, when Dutroux was transferred to a court house without handcuffs, he overpowered a guard, took his gun and escaped, but he was caught a few hours later.

This incident caused to ministers and a chief of police to resign.

 

The trial began in March 2004, Dutroux admitted the abductions, but denied the killings of the girls, while he admitted having killed one of his accomplices.

On June 22, Dutroux received a sentence of life imprisonment, while his former wife got 30 years imprisonment and another accomplice got 25 years.

 

All the above shows we are dealing with a monster, a dangerous psychopath, who should never see the daylight again.

 

Before going on to the article: I consulted the following sources for the above insight: press articles from the archives of Het Laatste Nieuws, Het Nieuwsblad and De Standaard.

I also consulted Wikipedia.

 

The article:

In this morning's edition of Het Laatste Nieuws (February 1, 2012) we read:

"The culinary life of a Prince Marc Dutroux leads in his cell"

Marc Dutroux is serving a life sentence in the prison of Itter.

In jail, he leads a culinary life like a prince, much to the annoyance of prison staff and fellow inmates.

The condemned paedophile Marc Dutroux -about the most despised Belgian ever- is making his gastronomic demands.

He demands to be served according to his every wish.

 

Officially, he gets preferential treatment because his health conditions warrant this, but there are certainly some bizarre contradictions to be found:

 

He does not want fish in bread crumbs, but croquettes are fine.

Some yoghurts are taboo, others are not, even if they are of exactly the same substances, but only different in taste.

He does not like mince, sausages or spaghetti bolognese, but he does like ham.

 

Poultry is his absolute favourite, he will eat that in any form or shape.

Cheese is all right, but only if it comes in slices, otherwise it can be taken back to the kitchen.

 

If they serve him any undesired meal, he often complains to the prison management.

 

 

(The above was translated from Dutch from Het Laatste Nieuws, February 1, 2012).

 

Now, who does he think he is?

Did his victims get a choice of food? NO! They were left to starve to death.

 

What is the penal system up to?

Why treat a monster like Dutroux with kid's gloves?

Has he ever shown any mercy with any of his victims?

 

For all I care, he should count his blessings there is no death sentence in Belgium, which is a punishment I think he would definitely deserve.

Instead of fulfilling his every wish, they should just keep him on water and bread, which is still better than what his innocent victims got.

 

As i said in the opening of this post: it seems like crime does pay, it seems that nowadays the criminals come off better than their victims.

 

What has happened to real justice?

Edited February 1, 2012 by mrdee (see edit history)

[sheepdog 10]

"What has happened to real justice?"Now that is certainly a good question! It is cases just like this that make me a firm believer in death sentences. Nobody this foul should be allowed to exist on this planet, let alone be catered to like this scum. He is a total waste of the oxeygen he is breathing, let alone the food he eats. I can certainly understand why you think sometimes the criminals are better off and that the old adage of crime doesn't pay isn't true anymore. Especially when you see all the criminals out there that don't even get caught, but live free to enjoy their illgotten gains. Makes you want to reconsider being a decent upright citizen. (but only consider, I don't think I could bring myself to a life of crime, I do after all, have to live with myself) Somebody needs to dust his chicken and fish in rat poison.

[nanna 0]

I agree beasts like Dutroux the death sentence should be brought back.Criminals now adays no matter what they have done are not punished for their crime they have committed they have a life of luxery in prisons.They are given pocket money to buy ciggarettes or toilettries or phone cards to phone loved ones.And they are able to better their education or learn a new career.they have free time to amuse theirselfs football and snooker tables and other luxery items to entertain themselfs.And you wonder why some people reoffend because of their lifes of luxery in prison.And when these criminals come out of prison they are given money to start them off in the outside world.Its the same as sentencing life should mean life and not let free after 25 years.When someone is sentenced to life to mke that should mean till the day the criminal dies.How many criminals are set free before they time is done and this so said realesed early for good behaviour they have committed a crime they should serve the whole of their sentences inside prison.And as for this beast dutroux what will be the next thing we are going to hear him being released on good behaviour it is a disgrace he is able to have things done his own way.No thought has gone into the poor victims of his brutality.

Edited February 20, 2012 by nanna (see edit history)