| Submit your comments on this article |
| Day in court for ’most hated man’ (in Belgium) |
| 2004-02-29 |
| A despicable creature gets his day in court... BELGIUM’S "most hated man", Marc Dutroux, finally goes on trial today, eight years after his arrest for a brutal spree of abductions, rapes and murders of schoolgirls that shocked his country and the world. More than 300 police will be deployed around the Palace of Justice in the small town of Arlon for the hearings into the alleged crimes of Dutroux and three co-defendants, which has been dubbed "the trial of the century" in Belgium. The trial of the 47-year-old former electrician, who has been in custody ever since that dark summer of 1996, promises to be a long and emotional affair, lasting at least two months and hearing more than 450 witnesses. But whether the trial will answer all of the questions being asked by Belgians remains to be seen. Many believe Dutroux lay at the sinister heart of a pedophile ring that encompassed politicians, judges and policemen. The fact that the trial has taken so long to begin has only emboldened the conspiracy theorists. According to a poll last week, 68 per cent of Belgians believe Dutroux and his accomplices had protection from "people in high places". Almost as many, 66 per cent, said Dutroux should face the death penalty, which was abolished in Belgium in 1996, a month before his arrest. ...more... Wow! 66% favoring the death penalty - now that is an eye-opener... I guess when something hits close enough to home, it becomes more real - with a corresponding shift in the response. One could say that this indicates that, rather than posturing and pontificating about America’s use of the death penalty, perhaps the |
| Posted by:.com |
| #10 The problem of death penalty is that the people sho support it use the wrong reasons: they advocate it as a punishment and this makes easy for the opponents to repel it as barbarous. They should use the argument that at times it is needed in order to protect the innocents. Let's imagine Marc Dutroux lived in Portugal. There is no permanent jail in Portugal. Maximum penalty is thirty years. Meaning that Marc Dutroux would be out after thirty years, or even less if he has eaten his soup when ordered and a judge releases him before term. And even after thirty years Marc Dutroux will be strong enough to rape and kill children. In France things are not as bad, we have real perpetuity but a judge can release him provided the uncompressible penalty (from 18 to 30 years) provided by the sentence has been fulfilled If you are in one of those US states where there is perpetuity without possibility of parole then you don't need to kill Marc Dutroux. However what about a terrorist who indoctrinates his cellmates who later perpetrate further crimes? Either you kill him, either you are ready to keep him incomunicated for the rest of his life or the blood shed by the people he indoctrinated will be in YOUR hands. And then there is the problem of people who are symbols. An example is Saddam. As long as he is alive he will be a danger for Iraq, as long as he is alive there will be terrorism and murders aiming to free him and restore him (and the people of the Sunni triangle) to power. Meaning that merely keeping him incommunicated is not enough. |
| Posted by: JFM 2004-2-29 5:28:10 PM |
| #9 The European masses are generally in favor of the death penalty. However, the elites have consistently voted to ban the supreme measure in their parliaments. I once read an article by some European MP talking about he was glad that he and his fellow legislators voted their consciences rather than the will of their constituents on this matter. It was really a very patronizing article, at least from my very Jacksonian, American viewpoint. I guess that the opinions of all those guys who get forced into trade school at 13 years of age don't count for much. |
| Posted by: 11A5S 2004-2-29 4:43:35 PM |
| #8 There appears to be strong support for death penalty in England also-at any rate polls show higher support for death penalty in England than in US.However,European elites are strongly opposed to death penalty and will never enact it. |
| Posted by: Stephen 2004-2-29 3:40:31 PM |
| #7 I'm not much for public lynchings but there's always an exception... |
| Posted by: Hiryu 2004-2-29 2:28:49 PM |
| #6 Thanks, JFM. And Belgian sees itself as the arbiter of international justice? |
| Posted by: GK 2004-2-29 1:24:57 PM |
| #5 GK European judicial systems (except for the UK) are slooooooooooooooooooooooooooow. However the funny thing is not how much time it has taken to bring him to trial. Let's review a few. He has been sentenced to thirteen years for sexual assault (and this was not the first time), however a mere judge voided the verdict of a jury by releasing him after three years. Allegedly fotr good behaviour. Apparently the judge didn't asked himself if good behaviour while in jail (ie Dutroux didn't attack guards and ate his soup like a good boy really meant he was no longer dangerous. Once released the parole people didn't find funny that a guy supposed nearly peniless and on welfare had several cars (the money he made from his child porn business). There were also some strange neare misses like when the Belgian gendarmerie (no relation with the French one, the later is supposed incorruptible :-)))) searched his house and failed to find the place where two girls were locked. I even think to remember that the girls called for help but allegedly Dutroux successfully conned the gendarmes. Now the nice thing is that there are people in Europe who are not only against death penalty but also against perptual jail. Meaning that after N years Dutoux would be released to prey on other child. |
| Posted by: JFM 2004-2-29 12:27:42 PM |
| #4 Charles, I've actually joked that about Ruth Baden Ginsberg ... yes, go ahead and take that as my position on why she consistently votes liberal ... |
| Posted by: Lu Baihu 2004-2-29 12:12:28 PM |
| #3 He'll go free do to technicalities in the judges bank account. |
| Posted by: Charles 2004-2-29 11:10:44 AM |
| #2 Trial not trail. |
| Posted by: GK 2004-2-29 10:58:01 AM |
| #1 Wonder how many Belgians would favor transfer of jurisdiction to Texas?:) Conspiracy theories aside, why did it take so long to bring Dutroux to trail? |
| Posted by: GK 2004-2-29 10:57:09 AM |