More than six years after Mr Marc Dutroux's arrest on child sex and murder charges, a Belgian court is set to call for his trial by jury.
The notorious case, which sparked international outrage and mass demonstrations against the Belgian justice system, has been held up by investigations and legal wrangling since Mr Dutroux was arrested in 1996.
Next Friday, an intermediary court will rule on whether there is sufficient evidence to send Mr Dutroux and 12 co-accused to court in Arlon, for a trial which could begin in late 2003 or early 2004.
Mr Dutroux is accused of kidnapping and murdering two young girls and two teenagers, whose bodies were found at his properties in 1996. He also stands accused of raping the four girls, as well as two others who were found alive on one of his properties.
Among the co-accused is Mr Dutroux's wife Ms Michele Martin.
Mr Dutroux was arrested in August 1996 when he was registering a van, only days after 14-year-old Laetitia Delhez was kidnapped near the southeastern town of Neufchateau.
Two days later, Laetitia was found alive together with 12-year-old Sabine Dardenne, near one of Mr Dutroux's properties at Marcinelle, near Charleroi.
But on August 17th, the country reacted in horror and disgust when the bodies of two eight-year-old girls were exhumed from another of Mr Dutroux's properties at Sars la Buissiere, in the south.
The shock expressed by Belgians over the Mr Dutroux affair has turned to outrage and anger at the handling of the case by the Belgian criminal justice system. Leading to 350,000 protestors demonstrating in 1996.
In April 1998 Mr Dutroux, Belgium's was able to escape from the Neufchateau law courts but was recaptured several hours later.
In the latest twist in the long-running saga, Mr Dutroux this week dropped the lawyer who has been representing him since 1996.
His new representative, Brussels lawyer Mr Daniel Kahn, immediately launched a legal action questioning whether the intermediary court set to judge him had investigated all leads thoroughly enough.
The case is to be considered on January 22nd, but under Belgian law it will not prevent the court in Neufchateau from sending the case on Friday for trial by jury.
Mr Dutroux's departing laywer, Mr Julien Pierre, said he failed to understand why his successor was seeking to delay the legal process ever further.
The imminent decision will be the penultimate step before a full trial: another tribunal in Liege will take the final decision, within the next few months, on sending some or all of the accused before a jury.
AFP