Razor blade found in Dutroux van

25 March 2004

BRUSSELS – A razor blade has been found in the police van used to transport suspected child murderer Marc Dutroux from prison to the courtroom where he is standing trial for his alleged crimes, the Belgian media reported on Thursday.

Police officers found the razor blade on Monday morning in the part of the van set aside for prisoners, police sources said. The blade was discovered before Dutroux got into the van, the police added.

According to John Van Acker, the head of the Belgian prison service, there was no evidence whatsoever of a link between the razorblade and the Dutroux trial.

He nevertheless said that he had ordered an inquiry into the incident.

“It is very easy to hide this kind of blade,” Van Acker told journalists, adding: “It could even be hidden in someone’s mouth. It is impossible to know how it got into the van.”

The razor blade incident is the third embarrassing gaffe linked to the Dutroux trial that the prison service has been responsible for. On the first day of the hearing, Dutroux was driven away from court in a van with its back door clearly open.

Then last week a key that could have opened Dutroux’s handcuffs was found hidden in a salt container in the suspected child-murderer’s prison locker.

Subject: Belgian news