Question 07 by Zoé Genot to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice and Institutional Reforms on the disappearance of cd-roms child pornography "(No. 7191) - 08 octobre 2008

07.01 Zoé Genot (Ecolo-Groen!): Madam the President, Minister, in 2001 at the major investigations on cases of child pornography, a good twenty cd-roms were handed over to Justice. They were particularly heinous because it could be found in them, according to the federal police, 88,539 children subjected to sadistic crimes and child pornography. They were babies, children tortured, raped teenagers. The sulfurous and hazardous material was transmitted to Justice. The person who sent these cd, Marcel Vervloesem, was sentenced to four years imprisonment in the case of Zandvoort.

I want to know where are these famous cd-roms. What has been done with them? Have these images been processed and communicated to international bodies in charge of the collection? I have asked several questions about this, since an Interpol database collects all the data found child pornography in the world, to compare and establish a record of the children concerned, even the identify. It is therefore very important to maintain this database.

Already in 2001, Mr. Verwilghen then Minister of Justice reported that the police community around the world felt it essential to create a database of the highest level for more international trade can about the facts associated with this crime.

In its report, Interpol has informed the United Nations that it wants to investigate this matter, but that these cd-roms had not unfortunately not been communicated officially. One was sent by France. The UN Special Rapporteur was informed that the CD had not been officially sent to Interpol to be examined by experts and to compare it with images from its database, so that could be established the age of the photos.

Interpol said to have just received a copy from a Swiss NGO. In addition, it said it would support any international inquiry and that if it received the cd-rom together with a formal request from a national body responsible for law enforcement, it would consider referring in its database.

Has a formal request been sent to Interpol to identify at least the number, not of photos, but children on the file? How many of them have already been identified throughout the world? Thereafter, it would seem that not only documents and testimony relating to this issue, but also seven CD-ROMs containing photos of Zandvoort disappeared. The High Council of Justice has confirmed the theft of these parts.

Can you confirm that the evidence Vervloesem have disappeared and seven CD-ROMs containing photos of Zandvoort also disappeared? Have you ordered an investigation on this?

07.02 Jo Vandeurzen Minister: Dear colleague, the 20 cd-roms are still serving parts of the court conviction of Turnhout where they were deposited in December 2001. All cd-roms were examined and analyzed in detail by the police, sent to Europol for technical analysis and Interpol-Lyon for comparison with its international data bank. It is clear from their analysis that the 20 CD-ROMs containing 88,539 unique images which 70% child pornography. Fifty per cent of images are known to the database of Interpol but no image has a link with Belgian records. It has recovered nearly 400 photos in connection with an arrest made in Stockholm in April 2003, 37 of the 42 victims were identified.

SEX AND DRUG CRIMES, following a complaint recognized paid 375 euro and another withdrawn by ensuring it had been brought under the threat of the current president of the local Police. SWINDLE supported by false identification (proof provided by the Dutch police), which was conducted by a member of ECPAT, Partner of CHILD FOCUS. DISTRIBUTION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY an awareness campaign on the importance of thorough investigation of murder and torture of children Zandvoort, the subject of a complaint by Jean-Denis LEJEUNE, father of a dutroux victim, who was then a CHILD FOCUS employee.

Mr. Marcel Vervloesem was sentenced by a contradictory ruling of the Court of Appeal of Antwerp to four years imprisonment for sex drug crimes over juveniles, swindle and dissemination of images of child pornography. This ruling expressly provided that the dossier was complete and that the conditions for a fair trial were met. The appeal was rejected by a ruling of the Court of Cassation on 24 June 2008.

In the context of information a number of separate notice, a CD-ROM was sent to the prosecutor and seven cd-roms were given personally by Marcel Vervloesem. The CD-ROM sent to the prosecutor contained the same information as a CD-roms given by Mr. Vervloesem. Marcel Vervloesem never wanted to make a statement about these cd-roms. This information was dismissed but was attached to the copy folder in which a final ruling was made as described above.

The cd-roms have not disappeared and are still at the Registry of the Criminal Court.

07.03 Zoé Genot (Ecolo-Groen!): I am glad that I interpellations 2003 and 2005, there has been monitoring these cd-roms. At the time, could not say if they had been sent to Interpol or another. I see that Belgium is the time in this international momentum, which I believe is important. I am a little surprised about the information you provide and that no subject has disappeared from the case because the Supreme Council of Justice issued an opinion in which he regretted the disappearances. This seems rather contradictory.

[House of Representatives - Committee for Justice - Meeting of 8 October 2008 - Extract from full report (RAIV 52 - COM 0327)]

ANSWER: Marcel Vervloesem: coma & the parliamentary question of Zoé Genot