Paedophile's wife wins early release with convent deal

Belgian justice authorities have approved a request by the former wife of Belgian paedophile killer Marc Dutroux to be transferred to a convent in France upon her early release from prison.

Michelle Martin, 51, was arrested in 1996 for her part in helping Dutroux, 54, kidnap six girls, four of whom were killed or died of neglect. She was sentenced in 2004 to 30 years in prison. She had appealed unsuccessfully three times to be released, but a fourth and last attempt was granted this week.

"It is part of her proposal for probation, which has been evaluated over time and was accepted yesterday," justice minister Stefaan De Cler0ck said.

He said he expected Martin to remain in the convent for the entire ten years of her probation period. He did not say where in France the convent was located.

The traumatic case is still fresh in the minds of many in Belgium, which is also reeling from a Catholic Church child abuse scandal involving more than 500 victims.

Under Belgian law, convicts can appeal for early release after serving a third of their sentence. Mr De Clerck said: "We must make contact with the French so that we can be assured all the conditions surrounding her freeing from prison will be met."

These included not attempting to contact any of the victims' families or friends, and not speaking to the media about her crimes, he said.

Jean-Denis Lejeune, mother of Julie Lejeune, one of two eight-year-old girls found in Dutroux's cellar, said: "She murdered my daughter; 15 years seems light. I can not believe we are allowing a monster out into society. This is disgusting."

The family of victim Eefje Lambrecks said they were strongly opposed to Martin's release because "she had never voiced any sincere regrets".

Psychiatrists have also warned officials that Martin could still present a danger to society, the Belgian media reported.

The Dutroux affair erupted in August, 1996, when police arrested the unemployed electrician following the abduction of 14-year-old girl Laetitia Delhez.

She was found alive two days later along with severely emaciated Sabine Dardenne, 12, in the basement of his house the Charleroi suburb of Marcinelle.

Then in August, 1998, the bodies of eight-year-olds Julie Lejeune and Melissa Russo were found buried in the garden of Dutroux's other home in the southern town of Sars La Buissiere.A month later, the bodies of An Marchal and Eefje Lambrecks were found in another property owned by Dutroux.

Public outrage increased when it came to light that police had missed a string of clues that could have led to Dutroux being apprehended earlier.

It also emerged that he had been released from jail in 1992 after serving just three years of a 13-year sentence for the abduction and rape of five girls.

Nationwide fury boiled over and more than 300,000 people took to the streets of Brussels in October 1996 in a series of marches to protest at judicial incompetence. Dutroux remains in prison and will never be released.