Court courage of child rape victim

A victim who survived 80 days of imprisonment before being rescued from the basement dungeon of paedophile Marc Dutroux came face to face with him today to testify at his rape and murder trial.

Sabine Dardenne, now 20, is a key witness. She says she saw only Dutroux during her 1996 kidnapping, and lawyers say her testimony dispels theories he was part of a paedophile network.

Dutroux is standing trial for the kidnapping and sexual abuse of six girls, four of whom died.

"Why did you not kill me?" Miss Dardenne asked him in a steady voice at the end of her testimony. Dutroux answered that he never considered it. But he admitted abusing her, adding: "I bear full responsibility for that."

Miss Dardenne was rescued along with another victim, Laetitia Delhez, from the secret cellar two days after Dutroux, his wife and a third defendant were arrested in August 1996. Miss Delhez, now 22, will testify tomorrow.

Parents of two kidnapped girls were overcome with emotion as Miss Dardenne gave evidence and were taken to hospital for observation. Their condition was not considered serious. Lawyers praised her courage during the hour-long testimony.

"She was a bit timid at first," said her lawyer Jean-Philippe Riviere.

"We have to thank court president Stephane Goux for questioning her like a good father would question his daughter. I was happy to see she turned in her chair to look Dutroux in the face."

Miss Delhez's lawyer Jan Fermon said his client will prove equally strong-minded. "Two girls who survived hell and live to tell the story shows great courage," he said.

Two eight-year-old victims - Julie Lejeune and Melissa Russo - are thought to have starved to death in Dutroux's basement in 1996 while he was in jail for car theft and his wife neglected to feed the girls.

Two others - Eefje Lambrecks, 19, and An Marchal, 17 - were also killed in 1996. Their bodies were unearthed from Dutroux's back yard.

Pol Marchal, An's father, was so shaken by Miss Dardenne's testimony that he almost collapsed and had to be taken out on a stretcher. The mother of Miss Delhez was also taken out, overcome by emotion.

Dutroux, a convicted paedophile on parole at the time of the abductions, claims he was working for a criminal network recruiting prostitutes.

The trial continues.

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