Dutroux's wife has rights

Michelle Martin, the accomplice and ex-wife of Belgian child molester and murderer Marc Dutroux, may soon be released from prison. The Belgian court responsible for the execution of the sentence has ruled in favour of her early release after 15 years in prison. This is intolerable for the relatives of the victims but justified, writes the daily De Standaard: "In our legal system punishment is not aimed at retribution or revenge. We don't kill people, we don't throw them into dungeons. But even a prison sentence of 30 years comes to an end. The law offers the possibility of early release and those who fulfil the criteria have a right to it. These are the rules that we ourselves have made. ... We must be sensitive in dealing with the suffering of the victims and their families. But in the end objectivity is better than an approach in which political motives or the people's feelings rule the day."

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