BELGIUM: The alleged child-killer Marc Dutroux was "the perfect psychopath", according to psychiatric experts who gave evidence at his trial in Belgium yesterday.
But they concluded that the man who is alleged to have kidnapped, raped and killed young girls was not a classic paedophile because his sexual appetites were not limited to children. Rather, he preyed upon young girls because he accepted no social norms and found it easier to subject them to his manipulations.
Giving evidence in the 10th week of the trial, psychiatrist Mr Walter Denys said he had examined more than 3000 people for the sake of court proceedings. "This is the third psychopath that I have encountered in my career and undoubtedly the most severe case," he said.
Dutroux, he said, showed no feelings, was fundamentally antisocial, incapable of affectionate relations, dangerous to live with, narcissistic, with no sense of responsibility or feelings of guilt.
A psychologist, Mr Francis Lavenne, told the court: "The psychopath considers himself to be the centre of the world. Everything around him is only there to serve his needs."
Mr Lavenne quoted remarks Dutroux had made: "I am not ill-fitted to society. It is society which does not give me space."
And later he complained about his imprisonment, saying, "My cell is a lot worse than that of Julie and Melissa", referring to two of his victims whom he kidnapped and allegedly left to die.
Both men and a second psychiatrist testified that Dutroux was incapable of taking orders or being part of a network, so casting doubts on conspiracy theories that he was carrying out orders as part of a much larger network of paedophiles.
While he might co-operate briefly with another psychopath to obtain some particular prize, he was incapable of sustained co-operation, they said. "Partners are there to serve him," said Mr Lavenne.