In 1989, Marc Dutroux, a 32-year-old electrician from the Belgian city of Charleroi, was convicted and sentenced to 13 years in prison for the rape and torture of five young girls. In 1992, and against the wishes of his family, Dutroux was paroled as part of a general early release for sex offenders arranged by then-justice minister Melchior Wathelet. Dutroux received a $2,700 per month government stipend on grounds he had suffered psychological damage in prison. Part of this money went to the purchase by Dutroux of six homes and several cars.
In 1993, young girls began disappearing from areas where Dutroux lived. That same year, an informant told police that Dutroux had offered him between $3,000 and $5,000 to kidnap young girls. The tip was ignored. Neighbors of Dutroux complained to police of strange noises coming from his houses; police replied that Dutroux could do what he liked in his homes. Police were also informed that Dutroux was building dungeons in his cellar; two searches of his house failed to uncover them.