“He is a mixture of Dutroux and Hitler”: sixty-something terrorized family for years and forced stepsons to have sex with their mother and sister

The trial against a man in his sixties who sexually, psychologically and physically terrorized his family for years began in the Charleroi criminal court. “He is a mixture of Dutroux and Hitler,” ‘La Dernière Heure’ quotes the public prosecutor.

The prosecutor described the case at the start of his opening argument as “the worst case I have prepared in my 22-year career.” Several lawyers are said to have even refused to defend the suspect – known only as ‘Eric’ – due to the seriousness of the facts. The 61-year-old man is said to have abused his wife, three children and three stepchildren for twenty years.

The case started when one of the man’s stepdaughters dared to go to the police in November 2021 – after years of abuse. The young woman says she was raped by her stepfather from the age of nine, the first time in exchange for a Barbie doll. The girl’s mother was also said to have been forcibly involved in those sexual acts at the time. “The girl was 10 or 11 years old when the suspect forced her to have a sexual relationship with her mother,” the prosecutor said.

“The girl was 10 or 11 years old when the suspect forced her to have a sexual relationship with her mother.”

Public prosecutor

“Mixture of Dutroux and Hitler”

The subsequent investigation shows that the man created a climate of terror in his family. His two stepsons also talk about rape, abuse, and verbal threats. The two boys were also forced to have sex with their mother or sister while the man watched. In other stories, the use of dogs or even snails during forced sexual acts appears. The man is also accused of pimping, forcing his wife and a stepdaughter into prostitution, and animal cruelty.

The man denies everything, and only acknowledges that he occasionally hit one of his sons. According to the man, the serious accusations are “a conspiracy” because “everyone owes me money”. To the incomprehension of the public prosecutor, who described the man as a “psychopath”, “a great danger to society” and even “a mixture of Dutroux and Hitler”. The man faces twenty years in prison, a verdict is expected on April 10.