Michel Bourlet told the jury on the second day of the trial in the small southern Belgian town of Arlon that Dutroux was a dark, sinister, manipulative figure who had preyed on young girls.

Dutroux, 47, flanked by his co-defendants — his former wife, Michelle Martin, and alleged accomplices, Michel Lelièvre and Michel Nihoul — listened impassively in his bulletproof glass cell as Mr Bourlet outlined incidents from a 74-page statement.

He described Dutroux as the main perpetrator in the kidnap of the girls, who were held in an underground cellar in one of his homes and then raped and abused before four of them died.

He said that Julie Lejeune and Mélissa Russo, both 8, had starved to death and that An Marchal and Eefje Lambrecks had been drugged and wrapped in plastic before being buried in the back yard. They were not dead when buried, according to post-mortem examinations. Two victims, Sabine Dardenne and Laetitia Delhez, were rescued alive.

Dutroux admits kidnapping and rape, but denies murdering An and Eefje. His defence team says that he was part of a network that reached into the legal establishment.

Dutroux said in a letter released to the media on the eve of his trial that Mr Nihoul, a businessman who is charged with kidnapping Laetitia, was a linchpin for the network. Many Belgians believe that Dutroux did not act alone, but others think that the claim is a smokescreen and the prosecution, after extensive pre-trial investigations, has given no indication of going down this route.

The Belgian media highlighted yesterday Dutroux’s seeming indifference to the trial, saying that he seemed to be asleep as the jury was selected on Monday. The judge had forbidden photographs of Dutroux, but he appeared in newspapers with a black line over his face.

Dutroux is due to take the stand this morning after the names of the 494 witnesses are read out.

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