BELGIAN police made their 12th arrest yesterday in the scandal of child abduction, sexual abuse and murder that has shaken the country to the core.
Ms Marleen De Cockere was charged with criminal association and drug trafficking. Belga news agency said she was also implicated in the illegal imprisonment of children.
Ms De Cockere is the companion of Mr Jean Michel Nihoul, who has been under arrest since August 16th on charges of criminal association.
Mr Nihoul, whose lawyer admits he takes part in orgies with consenting adults, has since also been charged with abduction.
Belgium has been in shock since August 16th when the bodies of two eight year old children, Julie Lejeune and Melissa Russo, were found on a property owned by convicted child rapist Marc Dutroux in Sars LaBuissiere near the southern city of Charleroi.
The two children had been kidnapped by associates of Dutroux 14 months earlier. He said they starved to death around the start of this year.
The discovery followed the rescue of two other girls Laetitia Delhez (14) and Sabine Dardenne (12) from a secret dungeon in another house owned by Dutroux in Marcinelle, a suburb of Charleroi.
On Friday Belgian television showed the first pictures of the three by nine feet dungeon in which Julie and Melissa died, hidden behind a heavy, soundproofed steel and concrete door set in the wall of the basement.
Two more teenagers Eefie Lambrecks and An Marchal were found dead 21/2 weeks later at the home of Frenchman Bernard Weinstein, an accomplice whom Dutroux admits killing.
Dutroux, who was also involved in an international car theft ring, and accomplice Mr Michel Lelievre have been charged with abduction and illegal imprisonment. Dutroux's second wife Ms Michelle Martin has been charged as an accomplice.
Three other people have been charged in relation to the child sex and pornography ring including Ms Annie Bouty, a former companion of Ms Nihoul.
Four others, including a detective specialising in tackling car theft, have been charged in connection with the stolen cars.
All but two of the 12 are being held in custody while investigations continue.