Even in the world of serial killers, there are some names that rise like bubbles to the public consciousness and seem to stay there like festering boils on the underside of an infected foot. Names like John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer immediately come to mind. One name that might not get as much attention (but probably should), is Marc Dutroux.
In an age where serial killers are just as famous as pop stars, and the public’s appetite for true crime stories seem to never wane, Dutroux is a perfect, monstrous addition to the serial killer rolodex. There might not be as much shine on him as say, Jack the Ripper, but that doesn’t mean there’s none. Especially if you’re from Belgium.
Let’s look at five essential pieces of Dutroux media you need to be familiar with to familiarize yourself with the story of the horrific serial killer dubbed the “Monster of Belgium.” Before we get into that, here’s some background.
Who was serial killer Marc Dutroux?
Dutroux was born in 1956 in Belgium. He was a juvenile delinquent who was arrested numerous times as a youth, and his crimes only got more serious as he got older. He was the oldest of five children, and he claimed that his parents would regularly abuse him physically.
Like several other serial killers, he was gifted intellectually, and used crime to make himself more wealthy. In the ’90s, young girls started disappearing all through Belgium. At this point, Dutroux has already done time for raping multiple girls and young women in the ’80s, before he got out on parole.
As an adult, he supposedly worked as an electrician and sex worker, and was quite successful at it because at one time he owned seven houses at once.
That doesn’t mean he didn’t take a stab at a normal life. He married at 20, had two sons and then left for another woman who would become his second wife and accomplice to his crimes. He and accomplices kidnapped an 11-year-old girl named Sylvie as she was walking home from the swimming pool. He raped the girl and took a photo of her before he let her go.
Most of his kidnappings played out that way. A female would be walking alone and a van would trail, and men would jump out claiming to want ransom money. Eventually he was arrested when police found photos and videos of the victims in his possessions.
He convinced the prison officials he had a disability, and was given a monthly stipend from the government when he was released. He was prescribed sleeping pills from a government doctor, which he would use to drug his victims.
Things ramped up in the mid ’90s, when Dutroux built a “sex dungeon” in his basement. He kidnapped six girls over the course of a year, and when he was arrested in 1996; only two were still alive. He was arrested for — get this — car theft, and released from prison again in 1996. He promptly kidnapped a 14-year-old girl, who was, again, walking home from the neighborhood swimming pool alone.
It took about 14 months for police to get him, and the public of Belgium protested in the streets in support of the victims. Then, theories emerged that Dutroux was part of a larger peodphile ring, and that high level government officials were involved. It’s a wild story, and there’s a lot more to it. As of November, he is 67 years old, and still in prison in Belgium.
Let’s take a look at some essential media that tell the whole story.
“Marc Dutroux: The pedophile & serial killer whose crimes changed Belgium”
This true crime doc is filled with real life footage and interviews with people who were especially close to the case. It features news snippets and frames the crimes against the larger cultural impact the case had on Belgium.
A lot of it is dubbed from original Dutch, which adds to the authenticity factor. It really dives into how prosecutors and police alike bungled the investigation due to incompetence, and even just plain inexperience.
Some of the most powerful parts of this doc include officials being grilled on things like why DNA wasn’t collected, or other routine police procedures were ignored. It’s powerful.
“How a massive police failure let a monster run rampant | 60 Minutes Australia”
This very straightforward news documentary highlights some of the more salacious parts of the murders, but it also dives deep into police failures.
There’s an interview with Dutroux’s lawyer, and a inside look at the dungeon where he kept the young girls. There’s interviews with family members of victims that illustrate the human toll of what a monster like Dutroux is capable of doing.
The police failures are just as much a part of the story as the murders and kidnappings.
True Crime All The Time Podcast
This podcast comes courtesy of the popular True Crime podcast True Crime All The Time, from hosts Mike Gibson and Mike Ferguson. This two part pod digs deep into the lore of the killings and follows the story chronologically from the start to his eventual prison ending.
It also explores the pedophile ring angle and whether that affected how long it took to catch and convict Dutroux. You can find them here.
“The Monster of Marcinelle: A true crime podcast about Marc Dutroux”
This podcast, called Our True Crime Podcast, explores the more bizarre and lesser known crimes of the last century, of which Dutroux fits very comfortably. It adds a bit of levity and music to the proceedings to help lift what is some exceptionally heavy subject matter.
It focuses on the kidnappings themselves and gives a more bird’s eye view of Dutroux crimes and how he pulled them off. It’s approachable, and we know fun isn’t the word but if you’re looking for a good place to dive in, this would be it.
“World’s Most Evil Killers Season 1, Episode 4: Marc Dutroux”
If you haven’t checked out the excellently diabolical World’s Most Evil Killers on Peacock, what are you even doing? Dutroux gets the world-class treatment in this one. This is the sensational version of the story, complete with the British narrator.
It highlights the goriest details with a lot of punch and quickly moving cuts. It uses reenactments with an actor, which gives the whole proceedings a darker and spookier vibe. It really shows his insatiable urges for murder and rape. This one’s for people who like their true crime loud, scary, and fast-moving.
