The Children's Crusade
After the abused bodies of 8-year-olds Julie Lejeune and Mélissa Russo were unearthed from the backyard of alleged child pornographer Marc Dutroux, in 1996, sympathizers brought flowers and signs to the victims' homes. One read: DEATH TO DUTROUX, so Mélissa's mom asked its bearer to leave. "We never thought our daughter's murder should lead to more hate," says Carine Russo. "It should help improve other people's lives."
Shortly after Dutroux was arrested, the Russos and the Lejeunes started Julie et Mélissa, a non-profit organization that has raised €1 million, provided legal advice and counseling to 427 families victimized by child sex abuse, and campaigned for reform of Belgium's justice system. Thanks in part to Russo's efforts, new laws now make missing children a police priority.
Last year, she began focusing on the Dutroux trial, which could start this fall. "For us, justice is truth," she says. "If we understand what happened, we can make sure it never happens again." But the truth is hard to find. Many suspect a cover-up by élite customers of Dutroux's alleged child porn and prostitution services, and police say they still don't know who kidnapped the girls. Russo refuses to give up her quest for justice. "We're on a train," she says. "We don't know where it's going, but we're not getting off until the end."
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