No date fixed for Dutroux accomplice’s appearance before appeals court

No date fixed for Dutroux accomplice’s appearance before appeals court
Sentenced to 25 years in prison and detained since 1996, Lelièvre reaches the end of his sentence in three years’ time.

Michel Lelièvre’s lawyer, Me Benjamine Bovy, indicated to the Belga press agency, on Friday, “Currently, no date has been fixed for his appearance before the Sentence Enforcing Court (akin to the British Parole Board), with a view to his being freed.” She affirms, “The current process”, as the date for his final departure from prison approaches, is under way, and the case is particularly being followed, as much by the Ittre Prison Management as the Ministry of Justice.

Sentenced to 25 years in prison and detained since 1996 for criminal association, abduction and kidnapping of children and drug trafficking, Marc Dutroux’s former accomplice will reach the end of his sentence in three years’ time.

The man, now 46, was able to leave prison at the beginning of the month for one day and one night. This temporary prison leave occurred “with the complete agreement of the Ministry of Justice” after all necessary safeguards were ascertained, especially with the psychologist who is monitoring him in prison. Me Bovy disclosed this information, mentioning that the process is the same for all prisoners.

As alluded to above, further down the line in three years, Michel Lelièvre will be freed. His lawyer is convinced that an early exit from prison “is in everyone’s interests.” She went on, “Mr Lelièvre desires to have a genuine reintegration” into society and to leave upon a solid basis. Hence the objective of granting prison leave. No date has yet been fixed for his appearance before the Sentence Enforcing Court. Successive prison leaves may serve as a means to further develop an actual rehabilitation plan for him.

During his 36 hours of freedom, Michel Lelièvre had to abide by several conditions. He had to keep away from the province of Limburg, both in Belgium and the Netherlands. Neither could he go to Flemish Brabant. He was also prohibited from entering the German administrative area of North Rhine-Westphalia, as well as the Liège commune of Ans.

 
The Brussels Times


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