1 00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:03,520 Speaker 1: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely 2 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:07,400 Speaker 1: those of the podcast author or individuals participating in the podcast, 3 00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:11,480 Speaker 1: and do not represent those of iHeartMedia, Tenderfoot TV, or 4 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 1: their employees. This podcast also contains subject matter which may 5 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:19,599 Speaker 1: not be suitable for everyone. Listener discretion is advised. 6 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:26,800 Speaker 2: Michel Pirot, nightclub owner, promised to make revelations about Julian 7 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:33,440 Speaker 2: Melissa's kidnappings, murdered shortly afterwards in a parking lot. Jean 8 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:37,760 Speaker 2: Paul Tamigneaux, acquaintance of de True active in Charlewaugh Carr 9 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:41,160 Speaker 2: theft ring, told a friend he'd received important information about 10 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 2: the kidnappings. Disappeared shortly afterwards in nineteen ninety five. His 11 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:48,280 Speaker 2: severed foot was found a year later in a river. 12 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:52,920 Speaker 2: The rest of the body was never recovered. Bruno taglia Ferro, 13 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 2: acquaintance of the True active in Charlewaiugh car theft ring wife, 14 00:00:57,280 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 2: said he was asked to get rid of the car 15 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:01,520 Speaker 2: used to kidnap U Melissa and that he feared for 16 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 2: his life. Died under mysterious circumstances. Body was exhumed on 17 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:11,120 Speaker 2: order of Judge Conrad for testing posthumous autopsy. Death declared 18 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:15,560 Speaker 2: as murdered by poisoning. Fabien jo Bards, wife of Bruno 19 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:19,160 Speaker 2: taglia Ferro, claimed to have found important documents related to 20 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:21,960 Speaker 2: her husband's murder. Burned to death in a bed soaked 21 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:28,319 Speaker 2: in methanol. Declared a suicide. Ghi Gobel Gendarmes and Garsolonna, 22 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 2: one of the very few gendarmes to obtain the confidence 23 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 2: of the parents of Julian Melissa, found dead with a 24 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:38,000 Speaker 2: bullet in his head the day Operation Othello started. Declared 25 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:41,679 Speaker 2: a suicide. These are just five of the over twenty 26 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:46,400 Speaker 2: mysterious deaths surrounding the the true affair, and additional reasons 27 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 2: why many believe there are still powerful people involved who've 28 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:53,240 Speaker 2: never been brought to justice. 29 00:01:56,720 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 3: Champsychopats is somebody who understood emotions, and I told them 30 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:07,080 Speaker 3: it is very exceptional that somebody abducts two children at 31 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:07,840 Speaker 3: the same time. 32 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:11,040 Speaker 4: Should have been the end of it in nineteen eighty six, 33 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:14,359 Speaker 4: but my god, it was just a beginning. 34 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:18,680 Speaker 5: I think Belgium was a paralyzed for perverts in those days. 35 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:32,400 Speaker 2: Welcome to la monstre. I'm your host. Matt Graves, after 36 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 2: an investigation plagued by incompetence and cover ups, and a 37 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:39,359 Speaker 2: trial where the judge purposely avoided elements pointing to a 38 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 2: larger conspiracy mark. The true was sentenced to life without parole, 39 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:49,440 Speaker 2: Michelle Martin to thirty years, l Lievre to twenty five years, 40 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:52,799 Speaker 2: and Michelle Nihul only got five years for criminal association 41 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 2: and drug trafficking. The trial of the century was over, 42 00:02:57,560 --> 00:03:01,400 Speaker 2: but the country would never be the same. The Gendarmerie 43 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 2: was discontinued as an institution and Belgian law enforcement was 44 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:10,520 Speaker 2: completely restructured as a direct result of this affair, basically 45 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:13,400 Speaker 2: the equivalent of shutting down the FBI in the United States. 46 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:17,360 Speaker 2: If you can imagine that several ministers, police officers, and 47 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 2: magistrates either resigned, were fired, or quit their jobs, and 48 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 2: millions of Belgians felt their country had covered up or 49 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:31,080 Speaker 2: even participated in the worst crimes imaginable. The aftermath of 50 00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:34,400 Speaker 2: the trial would provide little opportunity for healing, as the 51 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 2: judicial system would continue to fail the victims and their families. 52 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 2: Michel n Whoul, after serving just a third of his 53 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:45,120 Speaker 2: sentence for drug trafficking, was paroled in two thousand and five. 54 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 2: In twenty twelve, Michen Martin was given early release as well, 55 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 2: paroled after just serving sixteen years of a thirty year sentence. 56 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 2: Although the conditions of her parole were strict, the public 57 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:06,320 Speaker 2: was outraged, again, taking to the streets and protest. The victims' 58 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:10,800 Speaker 2: families were also stunned about her early release. The father 59 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:12,320 Speaker 2: of Anne, Paul. 60 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 6: Marschall, thirty year for me was thirty years. It was 61 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:22,720 Speaker 6: very difficult to accept. But now I have to accept 62 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 6: sixteen years, so you can imagine what I am feeling. 63 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:31,760 Speaker 7: Michelle Martin says that after years of psychiatric help, she 64 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:35,120 Speaker 7: is free of Mark d' true's influence. The crimes the 65 00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:38,760 Speaker 7: pair committed made this country question itself and it is 66 00:04:38,839 --> 00:04:43,480 Speaker 7: questioning itself again now as she enjoys freedom. Emma Murphy 67 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:47,280 Speaker 7: ITV News, Brussels. 68 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:51,240 Speaker 2: In twenty nineteen, Michel Lalieva was released from prison despite 69 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 2: appeals from victims families and a protest in Brussels dubbed 70 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:58,279 Speaker 2: the Black March. He served twenty three of his twenty 71 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:01,560 Speaker 2: five year sentence. After his release, he moved to a 72 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 2: neighborhood in Brussels, where it didn't take long for him 73 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:07,840 Speaker 2: to get recognized. According to reports, he was beaten up 74 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:11,320 Speaker 2: by a group of neighborhood kids. When Michele Martin was 75 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:14,200 Speaker 2: released in twenty twelve, the terms were that she would 76 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:18,120 Speaker 2: be confined to the Clarisse Convent in Malonne, near Namur 77 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:21,720 Speaker 2: in the south of Belgium. After serving ten years under 78 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:25,159 Speaker 2: strict supervision, she would be eligible for full release with 79 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:28,960 Speaker 2: no conditions. Just over a month ago, as the first 80 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:33,000 Speaker 2: episodes of La Monceau were published, Michele Martin was released 81 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 2: from the monastery with all conditions lifted. She is a 82 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 2: completely free woman today. Jean Lambreck's the father of Eefia, 83 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:45,880 Speaker 2: said quote, it's clear that she's guilty of much more 84 00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:49,080 Speaker 2: than what the official and public version wants us to believe. 85 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:54,160 Speaker 2: She actively participated in several rapes by drugging the victims. 86 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:57,600 Speaker 2: She had a serious rap sheet before she even committed 87 00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:01,600 Speaker 2: these crimes, yet she was still released early. This situation 88 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:07,760 Speaker 2: is very depressing. Unquote. Mark the True, still serving a 89 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:11,680 Speaker 2: life sentence, applied for conditional release in twenty twelve. It 90 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:15,120 Speaker 2: was rejected, but in twenty thirteen he appealed the decision. 91 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 2: His mother, who hadn't been heard from since the trial, 92 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 2: spoke up again, saying quote Mark is not ready to 93 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:26,479 Speaker 2: be released because he's still trying to blame others for 94 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:29,280 Speaker 2: what he did. I'm certain that he will start again. 95 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:32,960 Speaker 2: He has no sense of reality. He's a repeat offender 96 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:37,960 Speaker 2: in his soul, as he's already proven throughout his life unquote. 97 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:42,600 Speaker 2: Shortly after her statement, the tru's appeal was rejected. In 98 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:46,359 Speaker 2: twenty nineteen, he again applied for conditional release, which required 99 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:51,640 Speaker 2: an examination by a psychiatrists. When the psychiatric report concluded 100 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:54,960 Speaker 2: that the True remained dangerous and had a psychopathic profile, 101 00:06:55,720 --> 00:06:59,760 Speaker 2: his lawyer, Bruno Dallier dropped the parole request, saying quote, 102 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:04,479 Speaker 2: I must postpone my plans because proposing a credible reclassification 103 00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:09,000 Speaker 2: plan with this diagnosis, I really don't see who will accept. 104 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:12,120 Speaker 2: Dallier also made it clear that he would not give 105 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:18,520 Speaker 2: up on his efforts to free the True, as I 106 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:21,560 Speaker 2: continued to investigate the loose ends of the de True affair. 107 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:25,800 Speaker 2: The decades long saga has reached the present day and 108 00:07:25,880 --> 00:07:29,920 Speaker 2: were now breaking new ground. A listener of La Monstre 109 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:32,880 Speaker 2: in Switzerland reached out to tell me about a woman 110 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:36,920 Speaker 2: named Annika Lucas who shared her experiences with child sex 111 00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:39,720 Speaker 2: trafficking in Belgium in a book published just a few 112 00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:43,240 Speaker 2: months ago. I was able to interview her when she 113 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:47,200 Speaker 2: came to Europe recently. Annika explained to me that she 114 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:50,120 Speaker 2: left Belgium in the nineteen eighties to go to the 115 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:54,480 Speaker 2: United States to escape a child trafficking network. She claims 116 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:59,520 Speaker 2: that this network involved Michel Nihoul. I've been able to 117 00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 2: confirm some parts of her story. I know that she's 118 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:05,960 Speaker 2: indeed from Belgium, and that she was certainly sexually abused 119 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:09,000 Speaker 2: as a child, and that she escaped to America, where 120 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:10,800 Speaker 2: she's been living since the nineteen eighties. 121 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:15,720 Speaker 8: Yes, I was born in Belgium, in Brussels, and my 122 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:19,000 Speaker 8: mother was single, and when I was three she married 123 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:23,560 Speaker 8: someone in Flanders. Now she abused me from childhood. I 124 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:28,360 Speaker 8: started first with the and her husband, who had been 125 00:08:28,360 --> 00:08:30,800 Speaker 8: taking me on little outings. 126 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:32,559 Speaker 4: There were always other children there. 127 00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:37,320 Speaker 8: They took me the first time into what was an orgy, 128 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:43,439 Speaker 8: and that was a horrific experience. I was also that 129 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:49,920 Speaker 8: same night very graphically threatened to make sure I would 130 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:50,959 Speaker 8: never speak up. 131 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:55,000 Speaker 2: I wanted to speak to Anika because she claims to 132 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:58,280 Speaker 2: have direct experience with Michelle, who way back in the 133 00:08:58,320 --> 00:08:59,720 Speaker 2: nineteen seventies. 134 00:09:00,679 --> 00:09:01,960 Speaker 4: The boss of the network. 135 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:09,800 Speaker 8: He gifted me to an international networker and that man 136 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:12,400 Speaker 8: ended up taking an interest in me and taking me 137 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:17,960 Speaker 8: with him to train me. So I was nine years 138 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:22,520 Speaker 8: old when this happened, and taken him to different places 139 00:09:22,559 --> 00:09:25,280 Speaker 8: in on the East Coast in the United States to 140 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:29,240 Speaker 8: learn about that world. That year s nineteen seventy two, 141 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:34,839 Speaker 8: taken to different places, especially Germany. But still even though 142 00:09:34,840 --> 00:09:38,000 Speaker 8: I was gone the entire summer of nineteen seventy two, 143 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:40,560 Speaker 8: I still would come back and go to school. 144 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:44,160 Speaker 4: I was from then on used in the. 145 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:49,000 Speaker 8: Network by Belgian network, mostly for the VIP guests that 146 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:52,960 Speaker 8: would come from then on. So nineteen seventy two to 147 00:09:53,320 --> 00:09:59,079 Speaker 8: nineteen seventy four, when I was rescued by someone from 148 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:03,120 Speaker 8: the inside, it was really a last minute decision on 149 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:03,680 Speaker 8: his part. 150 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:05,000 Speaker 4: It wasn't meant to happen. 151 00:10:05,640 --> 00:10:09,079 Speaker 8: I was in fact taken away to be tortured. That 152 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:13,000 Speaker 8: the torture was led by the person I knew as 153 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:16,400 Speaker 8: the middleman for a lot of the orgies, someone who 154 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:21,280 Speaker 8: was very happy, the brown nose with the VIPs the network, Michelle, 155 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:24,000 Speaker 8: who was in charge. 156 00:10:24,920 --> 00:10:28,000 Speaker 4: I was given to him. He was the middleman, so 157 00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 4: he was rather new. 158 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:33,240 Speaker 8: He probably I started seeing him maybe nineteen seventy two, 159 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:36,480 Speaker 8: nineteen seventy three. Around then he started showing up, but 160 00:10:36,720 --> 00:10:40,840 Speaker 8: very quickly he became sort of indispensable as the middleman 161 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:44,360 Speaker 8: that he dealt with the pimps. He dealt with the 162 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:47,920 Speaker 8: parents sometimes if they were pimps, he dealt with the children. 163 00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:51,560 Speaker 8: He arranged everything for the VIPs. 164 00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:53,440 Speaker 4: He had no qualms. 165 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:58,040 Speaker 8: I got by, tried to survive a little bit by 166 00:10:58,040 --> 00:11:02,280 Speaker 8: connecting to the human inside and the man, well not 167 00:11:02,280 --> 00:11:03,000 Speaker 8: not with me whole. 168 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:06,440 Speaker 4: It wasn't possible. It was not that there's no human there, 169 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:08,199 Speaker 4: but it was. He was so. 170 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:13,000 Speaker 8: Flat and his jokes were beyond cruel, you know, they 171 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:16,400 Speaker 8: were so empty. But oh about the w h most 172 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:21,080 Speaker 8: horrific things imaginable, So no way to get through. 173 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:24,520 Speaker 4: I couldn't get through to him, to have him as 174 00:11:24,559 --> 00:11:25,040 Speaker 4: a person. 175 00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:27,680 Speaker 6: Was he also involved in the abuse. 176 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:31,840 Speaker 8: So I saw him more like a business person, arranging 177 00:11:31,880 --> 00:11:34,480 Speaker 8: everything until. 178 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:40,400 Speaker 4: For punishment the who has me. 179 00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:42,839 Speaker 8: I'm the one who's being punished, But other children are 180 00:11:42,840 --> 00:11:47,640 Speaker 8: there as well, and so he is basically terrorizing us 181 00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:55,640 Speaker 8: children beyond the imaginable, in order to make sure that 182 00:11:55,679 --> 00:12:02,520 Speaker 8: we will never ask the clients and quotes anything the 183 00:12:02,559 --> 00:12:07,360 Speaker 8: perpetrators that we will never express any need of our own, 184 00:12:07,679 --> 00:12:10,360 Speaker 8: that we will just be there and just shut up 185 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:12,600 Speaker 8: and just do what, you know, what we're meant to 186 00:12:12,640 --> 00:12:15,200 Speaker 8: do for them. 187 00:12:15,240 --> 00:12:18,160 Speaker 2: In nineteen seventy three, ni who would have been thirty 188 00:12:18,160 --> 00:12:22,800 Speaker 2: two years old, Anika described a horrifying experience that she 189 00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:26,880 Speaker 2: says she suffered at his hands. What you're about to 190 00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:28,640 Speaker 2: hear is extremely disturbing. 191 00:12:29,280 --> 00:12:33,839 Speaker 8: And Nihu grabbed my arm like that and twisted it, 192 00:12:34,679 --> 00:12:37,360 Speaker 8: and then he put a cigarette out on my arm, 193 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:41,880 Speaker 8: which is this scar right here. And I want to 194 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:44,000 Speaker 8: show you because when you see it like this, it's 195 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:46,840 Speaker 8: circular because he had my arm like that. But when 196 00:12:46,880 --> 00:12:49,560 Speaker 8: you stretch the arm out, as you can see, it's not. 197 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:57,280 Speaker 8: It's a line stretches out. I was taken away into 198 00:12:57,320 --> 00:13:02,360 Speaker 8: a separate little room, a secret room, I think, and tortured, 199 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:10,320 Speaker 8: and four I think four children who were also like 200 00:13:10,400 --> 00:13:12,920 Speaker 8: myself in this network were taken. 201 00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:14,960 Speaker 4: Also and had to torture me. 202 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:19,760 Speaker 8: So I was laid out and strapped down, and then 203 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:24,160 Speaker 8: he who forced those children to torture me with various 204 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:27,640 Speaker 8: There was a crate underneath this very large butcher's block 205 00:13:28,200 --> 00:13:32,200 Speaker 8: very old underneath was it like a crate, an apple 206 00:13:32,280 --> 00:13:36,000 Speaker 8: crate or something which which had various you know, he 207 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:39,720 Speaker 8: gave a fish hook to one child, he gave a 208 00:13:39,760 --> 00:13:44,200 Speaker 8: screwdriver to another child, he gave a penknife to another child. 209 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:48,800 Speaker 8: He gave well various things along during the time that 210 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:53,599 Speaker 8: I was there, and you know, forced them to to 211 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:57,560 Speaker 8: torture me, but clearly they did not want to do yes, 212 00:13:57,600 --> 00:13:59,280 Speaker 8: and he of course participated. 213 00:13:59,280 --> 00:14:00,640 Speaker 4: He of course was doing it too. 214 00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:04,559 Speaker 8: And I understand that people don't believe me, and I 215 00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:10,000 Speaker 8: don't take well. I understand it because I think that 216 00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:13,880 Speaker 8: if you allow this in, it's going to challenge your 217 00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:18,640 Speaker 8: worldview potentially very strongly. You're going to say the world 218 00:14:18,679 --> 00:14:21,280 Speaker 8: is absolutely not what I thought it was, and you 219 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:25,720 Speaker 8: may sink into despair or a depression from allowing this 220 00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:30,520 Speaker 8: reality in. So ultimately people have to do their own 221 00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:34,680 Speaker 8: work in order to accept that. 222 00:14:34,680 --> 00:14:37,080 Speaker 4: This is true and it is not. 223 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:41,960 Speaker 8: It may seem really hopeless when you allow it in, 224 00:14:42,640 --> 00:14:46,640 Speaker 8: but it really is for the betterment of humanity to 225 00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:49,880 Speaker 8: go through that phase yourself and to allow that pain in. 226 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:57,560 Speaker 2: Anaka's point about allowing this reality into one's worldview resonates 227 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:01,440 Speaker 2: with me. Facing the reality of child's sex abuse is 228 00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:04,560 Speaker 2: so horrific and disturbing that most of us tend to 229 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:07,840 Speaker 2: just block it out of our thought plane. However, it 230 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:12,280 Speaker 2: happens every single day, and ignoring it only helps to 231 00:15:12,320 --> 00:15:21,920 Speaker 2: perpetuate this awful perversion. Michelle Nihull's name has continued to 232 00:15:21,960 --> 00:15:24,400 Speaker 2: pop up over and over again in this affair from 233 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:28,440 Speaker 2: several different accusers. To dig deeper, I spoke with one 234 00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:32,200 Speaker 2: of the key journalists who initially investigated his possible involvement 235 00:15:32,200 --> 00:15:35,800 Speaker 2: with Regina Loof and the other ex witnesses, Marie Jeanne 236 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:36,600 Speaker 2: van Hayswick. 237 00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 9: We realized quite quickly that Nil was involved with a 238 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:46,320 Speaker 9: lot of fraud before he was arrested in ninety six. 239 00:15:47,480 --> 00:15:50,520 Speaker 9: It was a big surprise that he had never been 240 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:58,000 Speaker 9: judged for the cases in the eighties. It wasn't until 241 00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:01,560 Speaker 9: he was arrested in ninety six that he was actually 242 00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:04,479 Speaker 9: convicted for these past fraud cases. 243 00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:09,280 Speaker 2: When who was arrested in nineteen ninety six under suspicion 244 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:13,040 Speaker 2: of involvement with the Truth crimes, it was discovered that 245 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:15,560 Speaker 2: he had been investigated for a fraud case in nineteen 246 00:16:15,600 --> 00:16:18,160 Speaker 2: eighty nine, but that charges had never been brought. 247 00:16:19,520 --> 00:16:23,280 Speaker 9: Some people said, why is it that Nil has stopped 248 00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:31,080 Speaker 9: being judged in those cases? That's very strange. So we 249 00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:36,080 Speaker 9: discovered but later that the judge for those cases was 250 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:42,480 Speaker 9: Jean Marchvanespin. Is this the explanation because we discover later 251 00:16:42,640 --> 00:16:47,760 Speaker 9: that the Jean Marchvanespin has a lot of things with 252 00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:54,040 Speaker 9: n Michelle Hue and his ex wife. Abut the sister 253 00:16:54,200 --> 00:17:00,800 Speaker 9: of the judge is the godmother of Niel's son. That's 254 00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:05,400 Speaker 9: very strange. The cases had been placed at the bottom 255 00:17:05,440 --> 00:17:09,920 Speaker 9: of a trower and inure by Judge van Aspin. If 256 00:17:09,960 --> 00:17:14,240 Speaker 9: he had not been arrested, Nil would never be judged 257 00:17:14,280 --> 00:17:16,439 Speaker 9: for those case. 258 00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:21,200 Speaker 2: Marie Jeanne is pointing out that the judge van Espin 259 00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:24,359 Speaker 2: was in a difficult position from the start, as it 260 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:27,199 Speaker 2: could appear that he didn't pursue charges that should have 261 00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:30,840 Speaker 2: already been brought against Mihul for fraud. This is the 262 00:17:30,880 --> 00:17:35,080 Speaker 2: same judge who was originally responsible for the infamous Champaignner 263 00:17:35,280 --> 00:17:40,240 Speaker 2: cold case. So when Regina Loof's interrogation pointed investigators back 264 00:17:40,280 --> 00:17:43,080 Speaker 2: to this case, it went back to Judge van Espin, 265 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:47,000 Speaker 2: who quickly moved to try to shut it down. The 266 00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:49,879 Speaker 2: ex gendarme Amy Bill, who was taken off of the 267 00:17:49,920 --> 00:17:53,440 Speaker 2: Regina Loof case, still insists to this day that Judge 268 00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:56,840 Speaker 2: Van Espen closed them down to protect Michelle Nihul. 269 00:17:58,480 --> 00:18:03,560 Speaker 9: So when the case of the Champaigner was open again, 270 00:18:04,480 --> 00:18:09,240 Speaker 9: Sean McVan spent so immediately that new and BUTI were 271 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:15,119 Speaker 9: named by Regina Luche And I suppose he was in 272 00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:22,680 Speaker 9: danger because if those links were discovered by the the gendarme, 273 00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:29,720 Speaker 9: why didn't he tell those things sooner? So I think 274 00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:38,520 Speaker 9: it was difficult for him to admit. I published a 275 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:41,440 Speaker 9: paper who proved that he was the lawyer of Anibouti 276 00:18:42,320 --> 00:18:46,679 Speaker 9: in the year eighty three, and a few days later 277 00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:48,000 Speaker 9: he decided to resign. 278 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:51,520 Speaker 2: I was able to track down the award winning journalist 279 00:18:51,560 --> 00:18:55,719 Speaker 2: Alanka Frankiel, who made a documentary about Belgium's X files 280 00:18:55,720 --> 00:18:59,080 Speaker 2: for the BBC and wrote incisively about the affair in 281 00:18:59,119 --> 00:19:03,679 Speaker 2: the Guardian newspaper. During her reporting, she actually met with 282 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:06,200 Speaker 2: me who interviewed him well. 283 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:08,960 Speaker 3: I initially was sent over just after nine to eleven 284 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:13,159 Speaker 3: to have a look into this bizarre story. Then the 285 00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:18,040 Speaker 3: BBC decided to commission the film, so one needed to 286 00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:24,000 Speaker 3: be very very careful not to get distracted from the 287 00:19:24,040 --> 00:19:30,159 Speaker 3: main core of the story, which was to determine whether 288 00:19:30,400 --> 00:19:34,840 Speaker 3: it was true as the authorities claimed that Dutrue was 289 00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:38,280 Speaker 3: acting alone, or whether he was part of a network 290 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:43,400 Speaker 3: which was being protected or covered up by those authorities. 291 00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:50,159 Speaker 3: And pretty early on the evidence brought me to the 292 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:55,159 Speaker 3: associates of Dutrue, which included Weinstein, who by then I 293 00:19:55,200 --> 00:19:58,280 Speaker 3: think was dead, Liliev, who I think by then at 294 00:19:58,320 --> 00:19:59,000 Speaker 3: that time was. 295 00:19:58,960 --> 00:20:01,120 Speaker 4: In jail, and. 296 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:11,919 Speaker 3: Michelle Nihoul, who was regarded as possibly the fixer and 297 00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:20,200 Speaker 3: the person who had commissioned to true to kidnap girls 298 00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:27,560 Speaker 3: for others to use. So we interviewed various survivors and victims, 299 00:20:28,359 --> 00:20:33,919 Speaker 3: one of whom mentioned Nihul. He'd been in trouble for 300 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:37,760 Speaker 3: various crimes. He'd spent some time in jail, but when 301 00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:42,280 Speaker 3: I invited him us to meet me, it took a while, 302 00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:44,080 Speaker 3: as far as I remember, but he agreed and we 303 00:20:44,119 --> 00:20:50,160 Speaker 3: met in a restaurant and he walked in on crutches. 304 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:53,679 Speaker 3: He'd had some kind of I think medical treatment. He 305 00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:59,800 Speaker 3: was a smallish, fat man, rather sweaty, but very enthusiastic 306 00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:04,119 Speaker 3: to meet me and my team, my producer, and he 307 00:21:05,119 --> 00:21:08,280 Speaker 3: bustled in and wrought I am the monster of Belgium. 308 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:11,280 Speaker 3: It was a kind of a joke, I think he thought, 309 00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:15,359 Speaker 3: and he was sort of enjoying the fact that we 310 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:18,840 Speaker 3: had sought him because of that, that he was the 311 00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:21,920 Speaker 3: monster of Belgium. He was quite happy to say that, 312 00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:26,679 Speaker 3: of course, he denied any involvement in the crimes, but 313 00:21:27,560 --> 00:21:30,720 Speaker 3: he also said that he didn't think he would ever 314 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:35,679 Speaker 3: come to court, no jury would ever be asked to 315 00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:38,840 Speaker 3: decide whether he was guilty or innocent, because he claimed 316 00:21:38,840 --> 00:21:42,920 Speaker 3: that if that happened, he would name names, and too 317 00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:47,200 Speaker 3: many important people would be exposed, so that the entire 318 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:51,920 Speaker 3: establishment in Belgium would ensure that he was never brought 319 00:21:51,960 --> 00:21:55,240 Speaker 3: to trial. After he'd told me all this, I had 320 00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:58,560 Speaker 3: asked whether he would consider doing an interview with us 321 00:21:58,600 --> 00:22:02,200 Speaker 3: on camera, and he started to sort of be a 322 00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:05,520 Speaker 3: bit playful and flirtatious and started to tickle me and 323 00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:10,919 Speaker 3: started to push me over, and I've suddenly found myself 324 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:13,840 Speaker 3: sort of struggling to stay upright because he was pretty 325 00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:15,639 Speaker 3: well on top of me in the booth in the 326 00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:17,879 Speaker 3: restaurant where we were, and I had to push him off. 327 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:20,800 Speaker 3: I had to appeal to my colleague to help me 328 00:22:20,880 --> 00:22:24,760 Speaker 3: get him off me, and that once they'd done that, 329 00:22:25,560 --> 00:22:27,520 Speaker 3: he announced that, yes, you were doing an interview, but 330 00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:31,840 Speaker 3: for one thousand pounds I think it was, and I 331 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:37,040 Speaker 3: had to decline because we don't pay for interviews, and 332 00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:41,560 Speaker 3: to be honest, I was pretty pleased to say goodbye. 333 00:22:42,119 --> 00:22:45,640 Speaker 3: I think one of the most confusing aspects of this 334 00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:50,440 Speaker 3: film and this story was that there was a lot 335 00:22:50,480 --> 00:22:54,600 Speaker 3: of circumstantial evidence, a lot of horror, a lot of 336 00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:58,800 Speaker 3: emotion attached to the events that had taken place, not 337 00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:02,000 Speaker 3: just the killing of the young children or the killing 338 00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:06,359 Speaker 3: of the older girls, the discovery of the two girls 339 00:23:06,359 --> 00:23:11,240 Speaker 3: who were discovered alive, but also the number of people 340 00:23:11,480 --> 00:23:15,840 Speaker 3: somehow circulating around this story who met their deaths very 341 00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:19,159 Speaker 3: early in a mysterious way. I think, whether nine or 342 00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:23,440 Speaker 3: ten people. And of course it's a very difficult thing. 343 00:23:23,480 --> 00:23:29,520 Speaker 3: You can't prove those links. But it felt extremely suspicious 344 00:23:29,560 --> 00:23:34,480 Speaker 3: that so many people associated with the case were being 345 00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:40,040 Speaker 3: wiped out. So wherever you went, nothing squared. But the 346 00:23:40,119 --> 00:23:41,919 Speaker 3: problem with it was that there was a lot that 347 00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:47,879 Speaker 3: was inconclusive, and therefore, when you obviously finish filming after 348 00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:51,160 Speaker 3: your time is up and you don't have an open 349 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:56,000 Speaker 3: and shutcase. It's quite frustrating, and it's interesting that all 350 00:23:56,040 --> 00:24:02,120 Speaker 3: these years later, this case is still in a sense unresolved. 351 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:13,159 Speaker 2: There's another interesting detail again, linking Nicoll with a horrifying 352 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:17,360 Speaker 2: champignonair case from the eighties. It's something almost no one 353 00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:20,160 Speaker 2: knows about, even people with deep knowledge of the case. 354 00:24:21,359 --> 00:24:25,080 Speaker 2: After the gruesome murder of Christine Vanez, police found letters 355 00:24:25,119 --> 00:24:28,160 Speaker 2: she had exchanged with a man named Pascal la Marque, 356 00:24:28,320 --> 00:24:30,960 Speaker 2: who she'd met on a train shortly before her murder. 357 00:24:31,760 --> 00:24:35,120 Speaker 2: Marie Jeanne explains Pascal. 358 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:41,000 Speaker 9: La Marque is another strange character in the entourage of 359 00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:45,520 Speaker 9: Christine Vanis, the victim of the murder of the Champignie. 360 00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:52,879 Speaker 9: It seems that they met on the train. It was 361 00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:56,800 Speaker 9: in the fall of eighty three, a few months before 362 00:24:57,280 --> 00:25:02,320 Speaker 9: Christine's death. At that time, Lamarque was under a conviction 363 00:25:02,960 --> 00:25:07,719 Speaker 9: that sent him to prison. So it changes a dozen 364 00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:11,080 Speaker 9: letters they only met one time. 365 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:15,800 Speaker 2: It seems much attention was paid to these letters between 366 00:25:15,880 --> 00:25:19,320 Speaker 2: Christine and Pascal Lamarque because he was a known criminal 367 00:25:19,359 --> 00:25:23,760 Speaker 2: with a long rap sheet. In the letters, Christine writes 368 00:25:23,760 --> 00:25:26,280 Speaker 2: about having a difficult time and that she was going 369 00:25:26,320 --> 00:25:29,399 Speaker 2: to leave and change her life, and she wrote, quote, 370 00:25:29,880 --> 00:25:32,520 Speaker 2: I beg you please don't ask me where I'm going, 371 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:35,280 Speaker 2: why I'm going, and why I won't be able to 372 00:25:35,280 --> 00:25:40,199 Speaker 2: write you anymore unquote. Pascal Lamarque was in prison at 373 00:25:40,240 --> 00:25:42,520 Speaker 2: the time she was murdered, so he was ruled out 374 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:44,399 Speaker 2: as a suspect. 375 00:25:44,200 --> 00:25:48,600 Speaker 9: But what do we discover then? Pascal Lamarck was in 376 00:25:48,640 --> 00:25:54,600 Speaker 9: fact a relation of Michelle Nioul. His name appears in 377 00:25:54,640 --> 00:26:01,880 Speaker 9: a confidential Belgian state security document which exposes the connections 378 00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:06,960 Speaker 9: of Michelle Newell and Anibouti. And the criminal record of 379 00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:11,800 Speaker 9: Pascal lamarch is the longest of all the people mentioned 380 00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:18,320 Speaker 9: in this list. Eleven conviction for theft with violence, rape 381 00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:26,280 Speaker 9: of miners and so on. So we had some exchange 382 00:26:26,320 --> 00:26:30,920 Speaker 9: with Pascal Lamarck in the the years ninety eight, and 383 00:26:31,640 --> 00:26:34,760 Speaker 9: he said, of course, he said he has nothing to 384 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:40,080 Speaker 9: do with Christine's death. He was in prison, and he 385 00:26:40,119 --> 00:26:44,919 Speaker 9: said he remembered maybe Christine matt Nihull in the radio 386 00:26:45,119 --> 00:26:48,040 Speaker 9: radioactivity where new work at the time. 387 00:26:49,080 --> 00:26:52,439 Speaker 2: Altho only who evaded justice for his presumed role in 388 00:26:52,440 --> 00:26:56,080 Speaker 2: the True Affair and other sex trafficking accusations. I would 389 00:26:56,119 --> 00:26:59,240 Speaker 2: have liked to question him directly about all this, but 390 00:26:59,359 --> 00:27:03,639 Speaker 2: unfortunately he died in twenty nineteen of natural causes at 391 00:27:03,680 --> 00:27:09,320 Speaker 2: the age of seventy eight years old. Examining Nihul's possible 392 00:27:09,359 --> 00:27:13,160 Speaker 2: involvement with this affair is nonetheless still important because, as 393 00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:16,639 Speaker 2: I've said many times by now, he represents a potential 394 00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:21,040 Speaker 2: link to a wider network. If the testimonies of Regina 395 00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:25,160 Speaker 2: aloof Ana Calucas and several other ex witnesses are true, 396 00:27:25,240 --> 00:27:28,160 Speaker 2: he was a mid level broker in something much larger. 397 00:27:29,600 --> 00:27:33,000 Speaker 2: Although a larger cover up and conspiracy may never be proven, 398 00:27:33,520 --> 00:27:36,520 Speaker 2: there are definitely lower level accomplices that have never been 399 00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:41,680 Speaker 2: brought to justice. The balding man in his fifties who 400 00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:45,000 Speaker 2: participated with Detrue in the rape of the university student 401 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:49,120 Speaker 2: from Brussels back in the nineteen eighties. The mystery surrounding 402 00:27:49,160 --> 00:27:52,000 Speaker 2: the driver of the Redford Fiesta and the owner of 403 00:27:52,040 --> 00:27:55,480 Speaker 2: the Hotel Brazil who vanished and hasn't been seen in decades. 404 00:27:57,040 --> 00:27:59,920 Speaker 2: After researching and reporting on this case for over two 405 00:28:00,040 --> 00:28:03,240 Speaker 2: two years, like many other people who studied this affair, 406 00:28:03,960 --> 00:28:09,000 Speaker 2: I simply cannot accept the official narrative. Where there's smoke, 407 00:28:09,440 --> 00:28:13,480 Speaker 2: there's fire, and there's way too much smoke surrounding this 408 00:28:13,560 --> 00:28:16,240 Speaker 2: affair to chalk it up to police and competence and 409 00:28:16,280 --> 00:28:20,200 Speaker 2: a large group of witnesses all supposedly lying about similar things. 410 00:28:23,119 --> 00:28:26,680 Speaker 2: On the season finale of La Monstre, I'll dig into 411 00:28:26,720 --> 00:28:29,159 Speaker 2: what can still be done as we make efforts to 412 00:28:29,200 --> 00:28:30,240 Speaker 2: tie up loose ends. 413 00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:34,320 Speaker 5: So in the two case, there is a police report 414 00:28:34,640 --> 00:28:42,320 Speaker 5: stating the fact that twenty six unknown DNA profiles were established, and. 415 00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:46,480 Speaker 2: I'll travel from Belgium to Brazil to Germany to track 416 00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:52,880 Speaker 2: down a suspect who didn't want to be found explicate 417 00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:53,400 Speaker 2: I guess. 418 00:28:53,440 --> 00:28:56,320 Speaker 3: Bob Malon. 419 00:29:03,560 --> 00:29:07,400 Speaker 2: Le Monstra is a production of Tenderfoot TV and iHeart Radio, 420 00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:11,440 Speaker 2: hosted and executive produced by me Matt Graves, produced by 421 00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:15,600 Speaker 2: Thomas Resimont of Bubble Sound. Donald Albright and Payne Lindsay 422 00:29:15,640 --> 00:29:18,880 Speaker 2: are executive producers on the behalf of Tenderfoot TV with 423 00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:23,160 Speaker 2: producer Makeup and Vanity Set. Matt Frederick and Alex Williams 424 00:29:23,200 --> 00:29:26,320 Speaker 2: are executive producers on the behalf of iHeart Radio with 425 00:29:26,440 --> 00:29:31,440 Speaker 2: producer Trevor Young. Original music by Jay Ragsdale, sound design 426 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:35,240 Speaker 2: by Cooper Skinner and Thomas Resimont, Mixed and mastered by 427 00:29:35,240 --> 00:29:39,840 Speaker 2: Cooper Skinner cover design by Trevor Eiler. La Monstra includes 428 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:46,080 Speaker 2: archival audio from SONYMA, RTBF Archives and CNN Archives. Special 429 00:29:46,120 --> 00:29:50,680 Speaker 2: thanks to Back Media and Marketing Station sixteen, Jean Savigna, 430 00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:54,440 Speaker 2: and the teams at iHeart Radio and tenderfoot TV. Find 431 00:29:54,520 --> 00:29:58,640 Speaker 2: us on social media at Monster Underscore pod. For more 432 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:01,920 Speaker 2: podcasts from iHeart, rag Radio or Tenderfoot TV, visit the 433 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:05,720 Speaker 2: iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 434 00:30:05,760 --> 00:30:06,479 Speaker 2: favorite shows,