Belgian paedophile and killer Dutroux to get new psychological probe

Marc Dutroux, a Belgian paedophile and murdererserving a life sentence, is to undergo a new psychological assessmentthat could ultimately lead to his early release, following a rulingon Monday by a Brussels court.Dutroux was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2004 for kidnapping sixgirls in the 1990s, raping them and confining them to a dungeon-likecellar. Four of them died.The court granted a request by Dutroux's lawyers for fivepsychologists to evaluate the now 62-year-old and assess hiscondition as well as his likelihood of repeat offending, the Belganews agency reported. The new assessment is due by mid-May.In Belgium, a life sentence usually amounts to around 30 years. Since2017, Dutroux's lawyer Bruno Dayez has been working on his client'srelease. He wrote a book last year arguing why he should be freed.Repeat offenders can only be released once they have completed atleast two thirds of their sentence and pose no more risk to society,among other factors.In 2013, a Belgian court rejected a request for Dutroux to serve therest of his sentence under house arrest with an ankle bracelet,arguing that he had no chance of reintegrating into society.An accomplice of his was recently set free, however, under certainconditions.