Police foil attempted kidnapping

16 May 2007

BRUSSELS – The police in Brussels have succeeded in stopping what could have become a second Dutroux case. Detectives unmasked two Frenchmen who planned to kidnap an underage girl and hold her prisoner.

The two men sought help from Belgians via the internet. The intercepted messages indicated that they wanted to sexually abuse their victim, a young girl.

The two Frenchmen were arrested at the end of last week, the main suspect in the city of Rouen and another suspect near Biarritz. Searches were carried out at the hiding place of the Frenchmen and the homes of the Belgian contact people.

The police intervention came just in time, because the paedophiles had already prepared a hiding place to keep the child prisoner. Handcuffs were found and a cell had been built. The exact location was not revealed on Tuesday. Several computers were confiscated in Belgium.

A press conference will be held in Rouen and in Brussels this morning.

Justice Minister Laurette Onkelinx (Socialist party PS) will herself be talking to the press because of the significance of the case.

Subject: Belgian news