In this open letter to Bruno Dayez, the parents and relatives of the victims call on Marc Dutroux’s lawyer to stop “the offense, the provocation and the compromise” of the victims.
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Qome parents and relatives of missing and murdered children wrote an open letter in response to a written statement by Bruno Dayez, Marc Dutroux’s lawyer, published the day after Christmas. “The offense, provocation and compromise of the victims must stop immediately,” said the parents in their writing. In his letter, Dutroux’s lawyer argued for the abolition of life imprisonment in Belgium.
Dutroux’s lawyer’s statement was widely publicized on social media.
In response, Melissa’s father Gino Russo, who was murdered by Marc Dutroux, released old photos of his daughter in the process. Paul and Betty Marchal, An’s parents, also a victim of the pedophile, then followed suit.
Other parents of missing and murdered children spoke in an open letter released to the public on Tuesday. It is signed by Peggy Bellen and Johan Appeltans, parents of Shana killed by Ronald Janssen, by David Van de Steen, victim of the Brabant killers, by Jean Lambrecks, father of Eefje, murdered by Marc Dutroux, by Eric Geijsbregts, father of Nathalie, disappeared for almost 30 years, by Eddy and Martine Van Uytsel, parents of Annick, killed by Ronald Janssen and by René and Elza Wevers, parents of Elke Wevers, disappeared.
“An appeal to potential criminals”
“According to the lawyer for Marc Dutroux, to sentence someone to life does not make sense. The criminals thus imprisoned would not get any better, on the contrary. Master Dayez, however, does not explain where he got this statement. To us, that sounds like a call to potential criminals: do what you want, jail time, it’s not that bad. The penitentiary system is also criticized by the lawyer, who considers that the prison staff would not do their job well because the convicts do not become better people. However, Master Dayez remains silent as to an alternative to deprivation of liberty. According to him, there is none. Only a short detention would be adequate ”, underline the parents in their open letter.
“If the authorities shared his point of view, it would almost constitute an invitation to commit crimes. In a society where it is becoming increasingly difficult and costly to provide public safety, these are particularly arrogant claims. As victims and loved ones, we must firmly oppose these statements. On the one hand, the offense, provocation and compromise of the victims must stop immediately and on the other hand, there must be a balance in the representation of the interests of the perpetrators and the victims. Not all victims have the same needs but, for all of them, sincere regrets, guilt and learning the truth are essential to apprehend these dramatic events “, conclude the parents.
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