BELGIUM's highest court yesterday took a popular examining magistrate of the Marc Dutroux paedophilia and murder case, sparking an immediate outcry from the public still reeling from the horrific revelations.
The decision to remove Judge Jean Marc Connerotte from the case is set to further tarnish the reputations of Belgium's judiciary and police already suffering from accusations of a cover up and negligence.
Despite pleas from leading Belgian politicians to dismiss the defence motion, the Cour de Cassation ruled that Judge Connerotte could no longer be an impartial party after attending a benefit dinner organised by the families of Mr Dutroux's victims.
In their decision, the judges ruled that the basis for the application - attendance at the dinner - is beyond doubt and pertinent". They cited Article 828 of the judicial code, which says: "Any judge who has been received by one party at its costs, or who has received a gift from that party, should be rejected."
However, a second defence request to bar the chief prosecutor, Mr Michel Bourlet, from the case for attending the same event was turned down.
The court's decision, which also called for a new examining magistrate to be appointed in Neufchateau, was greeted with immediate uproar outside the court buildings, where demonstrators shouted "scandal" and "a fix". Security had been tightened around the court building ahead of the ruling. Bunches of flowers, bearing messages such as "Don't touch Connerotte, that is the cry of a whole people, we want the truth," were laid outside.
Thousands of people demonstrated on Sunday in Brussels, Neufchateau where Mr Bourlet is chief prosecutor Antwerp and Hasselt to show their support for Judge Connerotte and Mr Bourlet. A petition in their support drew 200,000 names.
The two men have been seen as crusaders digging to find the truth in the scandal which erupted in August when Mr Dutroux, the convicted child rapist, was arrested. His arrest proved to be just the start as evidence emerged of an alleged widespread child sex ring which flourished seemingly unchecked despite Mr Dutroux's past record and numerous tip offs to police.
Belgians have claimed that Mr Dutroux's alleged dealings went undetected for so long because he benefited from top level protection. And they had placed their faith in Judge Connerotte and Mr Bourlot to finally shed light on the affair.
Meanwhile, a paedophile hotline set up in the wake of the Dutroux case has attracted scores of claims of sex networks dating back for as much as 30 years, police said.