A 'black march' to protest against the possibility of infamous Belgian serial paedophile Marc Dutroux's requests for parole and the early release of his accomplice Michel Lelièvre will be held in Brussels on Sunday afternoon.
The protest will start at noon on the Boulevard du Roi Albert II, where speeches will be held. The march will depart at 2:00 PM and arrive at 4:00 PM on the Esplanade de l'Europe, close to Brussels-Central train station. The end of the protest is planned around 5:00 PM.
The march will pass through the Botanical Boulevards, Pacheco, Berlaimont and l'Impératrice to go to the European crossroads in front of the Central Station. It will then go on through the Boulevards de l'Empereur et Lemonnier.
"As usual, we will be present to supervise the demonstration, especially in terms of mobility," said Ilse Van de Keere, spokesperson for the Brussels-Ixelles police zone, to RTBF. "No particular problems are expected," she added.
The organisers have indicated on the event's Facebook page that they will not tolerate any misbehaviour. The police are expecting several thousand people to attend.
Related News
- 'Black march' to denounce conditional release of serial child killer Dutroux's accomplice
- Court to hold hearing on liberation request from serial child killer Dutroux
- Serial paedophile Dutroux's mental state assessed as part of conditional release request
The White March, that was held on 20 October 1996 following Dutroux's arrest, was attended by 350,000 Belgians and saw all attendants dressed in white, as a sign of dignity and innocence.
This Sunday, the organisers of the march asked everyone to come dressed in black, as a sign of mourning, reports Het Laatste Nieuws.
Lelièvre, Dutroux's accomplice, was sentenced in 2004 to 25 years in prison for helping him abduct four girls and was released on parole on 30 September 2019.
The meeting of the Court to assess Dutroux's current mental state and his risk of recidivism will be held on 28 October 2019.
If new expertise regarding his mental state proves convincing, his lawyers could apply for parole for their client, previously diagnosed as a psychopath, with a possible release by 2021.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
