Jean-Michel Nihoul

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Jean-Michel Nihoul (real name Michel Nihoul ; born April 23, 1941 in Verviers ; † October 22, 2019 in Knokke ) was a Belgian businessman and a co-defendant in 2004 in the case of the sex offender and murderer Marc Dutroux .

Involvement in the Dutroux case

Jean-Michel Nihoul led the life of a Brussels bon vivant in the 1970s and 1980s, attending sex parties in different places in Belgium more often. He later vehemently denied that minors were present. He also frequented clubs that were known to be meeting places of the underworld. In Brussels he also worked temporarily as a DJ and presenter at the independent radio Radio Activités . He has repeatedly come into conflict with the law and has been convicted of bankruptcy, fraud, and stolen goods multiple times. Nihoul often boasted of his contacts and good relationships with influential people in politics, most of whom he got to know in the relevant clubs.

Nihoul was also friends with Marc Dutroux. When he was arrested in 1996, he presented the criminal case that was spreading to the public in such a way that he was only the executing person in a pedophile network. He should have supplied this with girls and young women, who should then be made available to rich “customers”. The central person of the network was Nihoul. The twelve-year-old Sabine Dardenne , kidnapped by Dutroux and later freed , stated in the subsequent court proceedings that she had been abused by none other than Dutroux during her detention. Nihoul never saw her. It was noticeable, however, that police analyzes of the telephone calls Dutroux had made over 20 telephone calls with Nihoul in the days surrounding the kidnapping of 14-year-old Laetitia Delhez. The freed Delhez later testified to the police that she had overheard phone calls from Dutroux in which the latter spoke to a “Jean-Michel” or “Michel” and said: Ça a marché - “It worked!”. This evidence was also the circumstance that led to the opening of an investigation against Nihoul. Nihoul also handed over ecstasy tablets worth more than (converted to today) € 10,000 to Dutroux's helper and accomplice Michel Lelièvre, for which he was later unable to provide a really plausible explanation. According to investigators, this could have been the reward for kidnapping Laetitia Delhez.

Belgian Regina Louf also testified against Nihoul . Louf stated that she was abused by a pedophile ring in her childhood, including Nihoul. Allegedly, in 1984 he was also jointly responsible for the murder of a young girl, which has not yet been clarified. The Belgian investigators, however, judged Louf's statements to be unreliable and largely implausible, so that she was not admitted as a witness against Nihoul in the trial.

One fact of concern to the public was the fact that at least 20 witnesses died in the trial of Dutroux and Nihoul shortly before their hearing at the trial. At least four people were murdered, others allegedly committed suicide, and still others died in alleged accidents. The perpetrators of the murders remained unknown.

In the Dutroux trial, Nihoul was ultimately only convicted of gang membership and drug trafficking. The allegation of involvement in human and girl trafficking as well as child prostitution or pornography could not be proven. He was sentenced to five years in prison but was released early on April 28, 2005, subject to conditions.

This decision of the court was controversial and led in part to sharp criticism.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Dutroux and the case N. ZDF, March 1, 2004, accessed on August 14, 2016 (detailed interview with Michel Nihoul).
  2. ↑ Michel Nihoul (78) overleden: “Verbitterd dat hij onterecht is meegesleurd in zaak-Dutroux”. In: Het Belang van Limburg , 23 October 2019 (Dutch). Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  3. ↑ Great Crimes & Trials 04 (German) - Marc Dutroux. RTL Crime (YouTube Video), accessed on August 14, 2016 .
  4. ↑ a b c Dutroux and the N. ZDF case , March 1, 2004, accessed on August 14, 2016 (detailed interview with Michel Nihoul).
  5. ^ Procès Dutroux-bis: Michel Nihoul inculpé, non lieu en vue. LaLibre.be, May 3, 2010, accessed on August 14, 2016 (French).
personal data
SURNAME Nihoul, Jean-Michel
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Nihoul, Michel
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Belgian businessman and co-defendant in the Dutroux case
DATE OF BIRTH April 23, 1941
PLACE OF BIRTH Verviers
DATE OF DEATH October 22, 2019
Place of death Knokke