Editing Marc Dutroux (section)

=== Trial ===
* '''1 March 2004''' – The Dutroux trial starts in Arlon.
* '''14 June 2004''' – After 56 litigation days, the twelve members of the jury withdraw to consider the guilt or innocence of the suspects.
* '''17 June 2004''' – Dutroux is found guilty of several murders.
* '''22 June 2004''' – Dutroux is sentenced to life imprisonment. Michelle Martin is sentenced to 30 years in prison and Michel Lelièvre to 25 years. Michel Nihoul is convicted to 5 years on drug-related charges. Dutroux appeals to cassation.
* '''16 December 2004''' – The Court of Cassation finds that no procedural errors were made. The penalties continue to apply.
* '''October 2005''' – Lelièvre asks for the first time to be released conditionally. The request is denied because he has not yet reimbursed his victims.<ref name="watmetdutrouxlelievre">[http://www.standaard.be/artikel/detail.aspx?artikelid=4G39UOAP Wat met Dutroux en Lelièvre?], www.standaard.be, 10 mei 2011</ref>
* '''May 2006''' - Michel Nihoul is released under conditions.<ref name="brf" />
* '''2007''' – The Belgian state is ordered by the European Court of Human Rights to pay €6,000 in damages to Lelièvre, because his pre-trial detention had lasted for unreasonably long. Like Marc Dutroux and Michelle Martin, Lelièvre had been in jail for almost eight years before he was convicted in 2004. The money is given to his victims.<ref name="watmetdutrouxlelievre" />
* '''April 2007''' – Michelle Martin submits a request for conditional release, in application of the Lejeune Act. This is rejected in light of the seriousness of the facts, the lack of probation prospects and the risks associated with the psychological profile of the convicted person.
* '''October 2008''' – Martin submits a second application, which is rejected.
* '''November 2009''' – Martin submits a third application, which is rejected.
* '''8 May 2011''' – Martin, after serving half of her sentence, obtains conditional release. However, the associated conditions are not met by mid-June 2011, and Martin is not released.
* '''April 2012''' – Dutroux requests penal leave, which would allow him to stay outside the prison for one day and one night every month (this can be done at the earliest one year before serving one-third of his sentence). The prison management denies the request.<ref>[http://nieuws.vtm.be/binnenland/201209167884-dutroux-vindt-dat-hij-genoeg-heeft-geboet Dutroux vindt dat hij genoeg heeft geboet] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150325174718/http://nieuws.vtm.be/binnenland/201209167884-dutroux-vindt-dat-hij-genoeg-heeft-geboet |date=25 March 2015 }}, www.vtm.be, 16 September 2012</ref>