“Something is escaping us”: 20 years later, could we reopen the Marc Dutroux file?

Twenty years after the trial of Marc Dutroux, the question remains: can we reopen the investigation? And if yes, under what conditions? The film “Maldoror” by Fabrice Du Welz, which explores the affair by mixing real facts and fiction, rekindles the debate on the possible existence of a criminal network.

In MaldororFabrice Du Welz draws inspiration from the Dutroux affair to approach the thesis of a criminal network, while taking care to change the names and insert fictitious elements. Asked by La Libre Belgiquethe director states: “It is not at all a question of being a conspiracy theorist. I went to find as many facts as possible and I feel that there is something that is escaping us, that we have not been given justice. “

An investigation suspended from a “new element”

Twenty years after the trial, the possibility of reopening the investigation rests on a central point: the discovery of a new and decisive element. Marc Dutroux, for example, has always denied having kidnapped Julie Lejeune and Mélissa Russo or killed An Marchal and Eefje Lambrecks.

Me Bruno Dayez, lawyer for Marc Dutroux, raises a hypothesis. Let’s imagine that an individual, overcome by sincere repentance, denounces himself and affirms: “It was I who kidnapped Julie and Mélissa on the orders of Michel Nihoul.” Such testimony, if credible and substantiated, could be a trigger. However, the lawyer is skeptical.

An encore file with a taste of unfinished business

Former prosecutor Michel Bourlet shared this feeling of incompleteness. At the time, he oversaw the opening of the dossier untilintended to collect facts and clues concerning suspects potentially involved in the case, without having been tried. This file notably contained hair discovered in Marc Dutroux’s cache. These elements, although taken, never made it possible to identify other suspects. No new defendants emerged, and the case was closed.

Like other unresolved cases, such as that of the Brabant killers or little Grégory in France, investigators hope that decisive testimony will one day shed light on the case. But for the moment, the conditions necessary for reopening remain hypothetical and depend on an exceptional event.

Find You are in the newspaper every evening from Monday to Friday at 6 p.m. on bel RTL with Peggy Simono and Thibaut Roland.

marc dutroux dutroux affair Maldoror Fabrice Du Welz Fabrice Du Welz michel nihoul julie lejeune melissa russo an marshal eefje lambrecks criminal investigation Belgium