Two vloggers who broke into the house of serial paedophile and child killer Marc Dutroux are facing backlash from viewers and could face legal action after they shared footage of their break-in online.
In a video posted on Facebook on 26 December, YouTubers Nouchka Lévêque and Valentino Provenzano can be seen entering the what they call "Charleroi's house of horrors."
The video shows the pair exploring the deserted interior of Dutroux's residence, which the city of Charleroi recently announced would be demolished in 2021 order to build a remembrance park.
In parts of the video, the YouTubers behind the channels 'Dirty' and 'Les Stars du Net' descend into the basement, where Dutroux's kidnapped victims were held, and where police failed to find them during a search of his house.
For months, Dutroux held the victims in his basement, where, with the help of his wife and two accomplices, he repeatedly raped and tortured them in a criminal case which shocked Belgium in the 90s.
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Images of the basement—where two of his victims, Julie Lejeune and Mélissa Russo eventually died of starvation— elicited emotional responses from viewers, with some saying the footage "shocked" and "gave them goosebumps."
The pair's feat also prompted indignation among viewers, with some calling out their break-in as voyeuristic and others saying it was out of place and offensive to the families of the victims.
Lévêque and Provenzano said they created the video as a way to make sure "nobody forgets the horrors that the victims suffered."
"I would like to make you feel, through this images, that in spite of the years that have passed, the pain and fear are still present," Les Stars du Net wrote in a Facebook post.
https://www.facebook.com/LeStarsDuNet/videos/604300257010219/?__xts__[0]=68.ARCgzQt3oWQWBG8JZv0xW7Mcjbu0dU6lKdXY1VaZ5bFtC1hX5Co_kUK7uKkbVV3blNCJE8tZbRj2loGaEWjvLX1vwErj3LAjhSv-l0wIQY8VsFHqgvCV_Q5E32b18OW4_CoR5N444g5d35aSFeiOV07wSNYNfHRsfEl71GbHMLpWn-HEeIwXeMgiErdSp0SktGeQjmkknSFaGN_VRSPuCSzG_7gHiFLaxZYxNLYxfb2aNE5QHiafam562ERpqZ_AxQ_jO5NvyC4hU04F0z1xn6jSrE9V0wMk0vRo26qbrS5LstsoUU9BJRDwtb_1ZopOYCKAUZLtnpfRrotrR1SwnERsilCTaB-jnW0&__tn__=-R
The video follows the conditional release of Dutroux's henchman, Marc Lelièvre, who sentenced to a 25-year sentence for over his involvement in the affair.
It also comes after a Brussels court ruled that an expert committee must reassess the mental state of Dutroux, as his lawyers prepare to submit a conditional release request.
"This video constitutes another reason to not let this man walk free," the Facebook post read. "If you also think that it's important to never forget what happened, share this as much as possible."
Replying to the stunt, the city of Charleroi, who owns the property, said that the would look into the possibility of starting procedures against the pair for the break-in.
"We do our best to properly protect municipal buildings, especially if they are as symbolic as this," a city official told Het Nieuwsblad adding: "We are going to conduct an investigation into what exactly happened, and we reserve the right to initiate proceedings."
Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
