Belgium lets down parents of Dutroux victims

Around 5,000 people protested on Sunday in Brussels against the early release of Michelle Martin, the accomplice and ex-wife of child murderer Marc Dutroux. No one has prepared the victims' parents for her release, the left-liberal daily De Morgen admonishes: "This is especially bitter because we have these parents to thank for the fact that our country's judicial system has recognised the needs of the victims. ... However this recognition apparently ends with the last day of the trial. Also after the trial, on their long journey towards coming to terms with what happened and perhaps also towards reconciliation, the victims should not be abandoned to their fate. The parents could have been given a voice in the review process, and it could have been made clearer to them that justice is not just about revenge. Our legal system continues to lack this elementary form of compassion."

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