Belgian officials deny new serial killer confessions

1 October 2004

BRUSSELS – Belgian investigators on Friday denied a newspaper report that self-confessed French serial killer Michel Fourniret has confessed to more rapes and murders.

The French daily Le Parisien reported on Friday that Fourniret, who has already confessed to 10 murders, last week admitted there were more Belgian and French victims between 1990 and 2000.

The paper cited an unnamed source it described as being “close to the enquiry”.

“This is an enormous breakthrough in the investigation,” the source was quoted as saying. “Michel Fourniret has spontaneously given us a number of detailed elements on rapes and perhaps murders that he committed between 1990 and 2000 in France and Belgium….He therefore never stopped and continued his crimes at the rate of two a year.”

Le Parisien also said that Dinant police detective Jacques Fagnart and a French investigator from Charleville-Mezieres had managed to extract some of the most important confessions from the Frenchman who has been dubbed “the second Dutroux”.

However, Dinant prosecutors denied the Le Parisien’s report adding that investigations were continuing.

Subject: Belgian news