Belgium’s ‘House of Horror’ Demolished; Memorial for Victims to Take its Place

Belgium’s ‘House of Horror’ Demolished; Memorial for Victims to Take its Place

A Notorious Past

The demolition has begun for a property in Belgium that was the site of some of the most horrific crimes committed by one of history’s most notorious serial killers, Marc Dutroux. The infamous ‘house of horror,’ located in the city of Charleroi, was where Dutroux kidnapped and hid his young victims.

Dutroux’s terror reign ended in August 1996 when a 14-year-old girl went missing, leading to his arrest. She was found alive, hidden in the basement of the house, along with a 12-year-old girl. Further investigations revealed that two eight-year-old girls had previously been held captive in the same house and were found starved to death the next day in another Dutroux residence.

Public outrage ensued when it was revealed that Dutroux had been released from jail in 1992 after serving only three years of a 13-year sentence for the abduction and rape of five girls. This was compounded by the fact that the police had missed a series of clues that could have led to Dutroux’s early capture.

Memorial for the Victims

Plans have been set in motion to replace the notorious house with a memorial dedicated to the victims of paedophilia. The memorial, to be called “Between Earth and Heaven,” has been designed in consultation with the parents of Julie and Melissa, the two eight-year-olds who were kidnapped in 1995 and found dead 14 months later.

The city’s urban planner, Arthur Hardy, explained that the memorial garden will be built on a concrete slab that will preserve the property’s original basement below. “This reserves the possibility in the future to access these cellars,” he said. Several families of the victims consider that important questions in the case remain unanswered and asked for the basement to be left intact for potential future investigations.

A Life of Crime and Punishment

Marc Dutroux was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2004, at the age of 65. He was found guilty of having kidnapped, confined, and raped six girls and young women between 1995 and 1996. Only two of them, Sabine and Laetitia, were found alive, walled up in the Marcinelle property the day after his arrest.

Transforming a Place of Horror

The demolition of the ‘house of horror’ marks a significant step towards transforming a place associated with unimaginable terror into a space of remembrance and healing. The memorial garden, which will be erected by the end of 2023, is an endeavor to ensure that the victims are never forgotten and to remind society of the horrors of paedophilia.

The construction of the memorial garden began in June and ended this week. The garden, made of white bricks, is overhung by a fresco representing a child and his kite. This symbol of innocence and freedom stands in stark contrast to the house’s dark past, and it serves as a beacon of hope for the future.