BRUSSELS - The Belgian parliament faces a test of moral courage today, with a key vote on a report by a special commission that exposed shambolic investigations into the national scandal of child kidnappings, rapes and murders.
The report, published on Tuesday, was scathing in its description of rivalry between the country's three police forces and magistrates. Among other things it wants to bring all the police forces into a unified structure and for a thorough reform of the system of public prosecutors and magistrates.
Five young girls have been found dead since August, and police are still looking for other missing children. Two convicted child molesters have been charged with murder.