Belgian child killer requests early release

Marc Dutroux, whose crimes horrified Belgium in the 1990s, is escorted by police officers as he arrives at the Palace of Justice in Brussels to request his release on parole on the condition that he wears a house arrest bracelet. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

Marc Dutroux, who was convicted of the kidnapping and rape of six girls and the murder of four of them in the 1990s, put his case to judges in a closed-door hearing in Brussels.

The case touches a nerve in Belgium because of the horrific nature of the murders, and the fact that Belgian police visited one of Dutroux's houses while two victims, both 8 years old, were being held there without finding them. The two subsequently starved to death in a makeshift dungeon.

Under Belgian law, criminals can be freed after serving a third of their sentences, or after 15 years in the case of those who have received life, a perpetual sentence in Belgium.

However, thousands of protesters called for tougher rules on convicts when Dutroux's ex-wife was granted conditional freedom last year and moved to a convent. She had to request parole several times before it was granted.

Before Monday's hearing, armed police placed razor wire barriers along the side of the courtroom, an unusual security measure in Belgium. Officials also erected a metal detector across the centre of Belgium's main courthouse.

Dutroux, who was arrested in 1996, was sentenced to life in 2004. He served two extra years under a separate charge, meaning he is free to request early release this year.

The court will discuss Dutroux's request with prison officials, and issue its judgement during a public hearing on Feb. 18, although it is not clear if Dutroux will attend.

"The decision of the tribunal will be delivered in a public audience here," Luc Hennaert, court president told reporters after the hearing.