Shortcomings of Initial Investigations
Authorities were criticised for various aspects of the case. Perhaps most notably, police searched Dutroux's house on 13 December 1995 and again six days later in relation to his car theft charge. During this time, Julie Lejeune and Mélissa Russo were still alive in the basement dungeon, but they were not found.
Several incidents suggested that Dutroux's intentions were not properly followed-up. Dutroux had offered money to a police informer for providing girls, and told him that he was constructing a cell in his basement. His mother also wrote a second letter to the police, claiming that he held girls captive in his houses.
Read more about this topic: Marc Dutroux
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