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J'avais 12 ans, j'ai pris mon vélo et je suis partie à l'école...
"Je suis l'une des rares survivantes qui aient eu la chance d'échapper à ce genre d'assassin. Ce récit m'était nécessaire et si j'ai eu le courage de reconstituer ce calvaire, c'est avant tout pour qu'un juge ne relâche plus les pédophiles à la moitié de leur peine pour "bonne conduite' et sans autre forme de précaution..."
Le 28 mai 1996. Sabine Dardenne, 12 ans, est enlevée par Marc Dutroux sur le chemin de l'école. Après quatre-vingts jours d'enfermement, elle va être sauvée de la mort dans des circonstances extraordinaires.
Sabine Dardenne a longtemps attendu avant de nous livrer ce témoignage exceptionnel, qui donne une voix à toutes les victimes, et doit faire cesser la fascination pour les monstres.
Le 28 mai 1996. Sabine Dardenne, 12 ans, est enlevée par Marc Dutroux sur le chemin de l'école. Après quatre-vingts jours d'enfermement, elle va être sauvée de la mort dans des circonstances extraordinaires.
Sabine Dardenne a longtemps attendu avant de nous livrer ce témoignage exceptionnel, qui donne une voix à toutes les victimes, et doit faire cesser la fascination pour les monstres.
183 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
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August 28, 2014I'm absolutely horrified by some of the reviews people have written. To read that people thought this was "boring" because it missed the juicy details - indeed that people viewed Dardenne as "weak" because she chose not to divulge every horrible detail - or worse, that she only wrote this for the money... thankfully these reviews are the exception, not the rule, but they're still disgusting. This isn't a gossip mag or a horror film; it's someone's life. How can anyone feel so little compassion for her that you can say something like "More like i choose to be rich... What an exciting story this could of been, but she kept all the good bits out (i know you read the book for those bits)"?
Yes, Dardenne did choose to leave parts out. Do I think that makes her weak or diminishes the value of this book? NO. To write anything must have forced her to relive - at least to some degree - what she went through. Why should she be obliged to let the whole world know every last thing? That's a level of vulnerability that would be terrifying even to someone who had the happiest and most uneventful life imaginable. It was an extremely brave decision to write this at all. There's no shame in knowing your limitations, in protecting yourself.
The people that read this for the gory details missed the point. "I decided to write this account so that people should understand, that there should be an end to all the strange looks, an end to the questions once and for all and for ever. But if I have found the courage to retrace my stations of the cross, it has been, above all, so that lawyers should never again underestimate the damage paedophiles do, never again let them off with half their sentences still to run, never grant parole for 'good conduct' without other constraints in place... (this leniency) displays a terrifying naivety."
I won't be rating this - for obvious reasons, that feels inappropriate.
"Please, don't ever let them forget the future. Never again. On 28 October 2004, I turned twenty-one. The future is waiting for me, and I have every hope that it will be a peaceful one, even if 'one can never forget the unforgettable'." - Sabine Dardenne
Yes, Dardenne did choose to leave parts out. Do I think that makes her weak or diminishes the value of this book? NO. To write anything must have forced her to relive - at least to some degree - what she went through. Why should she be obliged to let the whole world know every last thing? That's a level of vulnerability that would be terrifying even to someone who had the happiest and most uneventful life imaginable. It was an extremely brave decision to write this at all. There's no shame in knowing your limitations, in protecting yourself.
The people that read this for the gory details missed the point. "I decided to write this account so that people should understand, that there should be an end to all the strange looks, an end to the questions once and for all and for ever. But if I have found the courage to retrace my stations of the cross, it has been, above all, so that lawyers should never again underestimate the damage paedophiles do, never again let them off with half their sentences still to run, never grant parole for 'good conduct' without other constraints in place... (this leniency) displays a terrifying naivety."
I won't be rating this - for obvious reasons, that feels inappropriate.
"Please, don't ever let them forget the future. Never again. On 28 October 2004, I turned twenty-one. The future is waiting for me, and I have every hope that it will be a peaceful one, even if 'one can never forget the unforgettable'." - Sabine Dardenne
May 29, 2023
Alors suite à la vue d'un documentaire sur l'affaire Dutroux j'ai voulu lire le témoignage de Sabine, une de ces victimes. J'ai adoré sa plume et elle raconte son calvaire avec une telle sincérité que c'en ai très touchant. J'ai eu beaucoup de peine pour elle. Elle a survécu à quelque chose d'horrible et c'est elle s'est reconstruite et je trouve ça courageux de livrer son témoignage.
April 4, 2024
On May 28th, 2006, 10 years ago tomorrow, 12 year old Sabine Dardenne was kidnapped on the streets of Belgium as she rode her bike to school. For the next 79 days, she was kept in a concrete dungeon, in the home of the man Belgium named the Monster of Belgium.
This is a case that has interested me for over a year now, ever since I watched a documentary on it so when I discovered this was a memoir, I went to my library the next day and read the entirety of it the next day.
I absolutely loved this book. You know, for what it was, not what the content was. Sabine Dardenne wrote what she lived through in a very matter of fact way. She does not dwell, she leaves out the horrible details of the rape, and she writes what her 12 year old self felt and did when she was kidnapped. And I appreciated the HECK out of it. Sabine has not dwelled on this part of her life. It happened, she moved on. She never saw a psychologist. She fell in love and had a normal sex life at the age of 16, losing her virginity the way SHE wanted to. She didn't let what happened to her hold her back. She does not like to be called a hero or to be pitied. She was a 12 year old girl who fought tooth and nail to live, and she is proud of that. But she doesn't like to be treated differently and I respect her so much for this. She never plays the victim. She lives with the guilt of her involvement with the other girl kidnapped after her, and wonders why she got to live when 4 other girls were killed, but she never plays the pity card.
This memoir was made ten times better by her attitude, the way she looks at what happened and the way she has lived since, and I loved that she kept out the rape details. I felt like this was a true memoir, this was her account of what happened the way SHE wanted to tell it. She did not turn this into a story that people with obsess over and read for the juicy details.
As a memoir, I will say this is probably the best I've ever read. Was the writing perfect? No. There were problems, but it felt REAL and that's all I could have asked from this.
This is a case that has interested me for over a year now, ever since I watched a documentary on it so when I discovered this was a memoir, I went to my library the next day and read the entirety of it the next day.
I absolutely loved this book. You know, for what it was, not what the content was. Sabine Dardenne wrote what she lived through in a very matter of fact way. She does not dwell, she leaves out the horrible details of the rape, and she writes what her 12 year old self felt and did when she was kidnapped. And I appreciated the HECK out of it. Sabine has not dwelled on this part of her life. It happened, she moved on. She never saw a psychologist. She fell in love and had a normal sex life at the age of 16, losing her virginity the way SHE wanted to. She didn't let what happened to her hold her back. She does not like to be called a hero or to be pitied. She was a 12 year old girl who fought tooth and nail to live, and she is proud of that. But she doesn't like to be treated differently and I respect her so much for this. She never plays the victim. She lives with the guilt of her involvement with the other girl kidnapped after her, and wonders why she got to live when 4 other girls were killed, but she never plays the pity card.
This memoir was made ten times better by her attitude, the way she looks at what happened and the way she has lived since, and I loved that she kept out the rape details. I felt like this was a true memoir, this was her account of what happened the way SHE wanted to tell it. She did not turn this into a story that people with obsess over and read for the juicy details.
As a memoir, I will say this is probably the best I've ever read. Was the writing perfect? No. There were problems, but it felt REAL and that's all I could have asked from this.
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July 28, 2012No ratings, as I don't feel this is the right book to rate.
This book is about the true horrific story of a very young girl, Sabrina Dardenne who is abducted by none other than the Belgian Marc Dutroux, a conspicuous pedophile who also committed a series of other crimes.
It is heartbreaking to read the story from Sabrina's point of view, as she was still an innocent kid back then. The way she (a kid) believes the kidnapper is her savior proves a pedophile will do anything to convince the little girl that he is a good person, thus his job to release his sexual urges will be much easier. Tears pooled in my eyes when Sabrina described the small filthy room she had to live at, and the way she wrote to her mother whenever she feels depressed (who doesn't).
I pity the little Sabrina, and I also applaud her bravery to face the criminal and gave in the testimony that set Marc Dutroux in the jail, forever.
Glad she survived.
This book is about the true horrific story of a very young girl, Sabrina Dardenne who is abducted by none other than the Belgian Marc Dutroux, a conspicuous pedophile who also committed a series of other crimes.
It is heartbreaking to read the story from Sabrina's point of view, as she was still an innocent kid back then. The way she (a kid) believes the kidnapper is her savior proves a pedophile will do anything to convince the little girl that he is a good person, thus his job to release his sexual urges will be much easier. Tears pooled in my eyes when Sabrina described the small filthy room she had to live at, and the way she wrote to her mother whenever she feels depressed (who doesn't).
I pity the little Sabrina, and I also applaud her bravery to face the criminal and gave in the testimony that set Marc Dutroux in the jail, forever.
Glad she survived.
November 14, 2017
Wat een hel wordt er beschreven in Ik was twaalf en fietste naar school. Verschrikkelijk om dat zo te lezen. Ik heb het nieuws in die tijd gevolgd, maar dit drukt je nog eens extra met je neus op de feiten. Er bestaan monsters op deze wereld.
Eigenlijk zijn de gebeurtenissen beschreven in dit boek niet in sterren uit te drukken. Ik kijk daarom voor de sterren alleen naar de schrijfstijl. Ik vond het boek vol staan met herhalingen en dat was jammer. Dat details zijn weggelaten is denk ik heel goed en zeker voor haar en haar familie niet meer dan terecht.
Eigenlijk zijn de gebeurtenissen beschreven in dit boek niet in sterren uit te drukken. Ik kijk daarom voor de sterren alleen naar de schrijfstijl. Ik vond het boek vol staan met herhalingen en dat was jammer. Dat details zijn weggelaten is denk ik heel goed en zeker voor haar en haar familie niet meer dan terecht.
January 24, 2012
I didn't care for this book at all. It didn't tell you really anything about what happened to her while being held captive. Yes we know she was kept in a cellar, we know she was taken, we know she was used for sex but no details were given at all.
We know nothing of why or how long this married couple engaged in this type of behavior. What they did for a living, how they dealt with having kids and family life while still kidnapping and murdering other childeren. We're never told how many people were involved in this circle of moldesters or where and what happened to the material they would distribute. The very end of the book briefly talks about the trial but once again no real details ever given.
The book was about 300 pages but should have been cut to 150 pages because she continually repeated the same thing she already said.
Boring in general. She states her reason for not giving details is "because she doesn't want to go through it again", then why write the book at all?
Waste of time.
We know nothing of why or how long this married couple engaged in this type of behavior. What they did for a living, how they dealt with having kids and family life while still kidnapping and murdering other childeren. We're never told how many people were involved in this circle of moldesters or where and what happened to the material they would distribute. The very end of the book briefly talks about the trial but once again no real details ever given.
The book was about 300 pages but should have been cut to 150 pages because she continually repeated the same thing she already said.
Boring in general. She states her reason for not giving details is "because she doesn't want to go through it again", then why write the book at all?
Waste of time.
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March 21, 2021In “Ik was twaalf en ik fietste naar school” doet één van de slachtoffers van Marc Dutroux haar verhaal. Ze heeft het over de 80 dagen en evenveel nachten die ze moest doorbrengen in de kelder van de meest gehate inwoner van België én het proces dat daarop volgde.
Details worden, gelukkig, niet beschreven. Anders had ik dit boek ook zeker aan me voorbij laten gaan, maar ook zonder die details zijn de gebeurtenissen onwezenlijk en vooral misselijkmakend. Uiteraard had ik niet anders verwacht.
Een rating ken ik liever niet toe aan dit boek. Het is een verhaal gebracht door een slachtoffer, over een ontzettend pijnlijke kwestie. Punten geven op inhoud, schrijfstijl, etc. is hier voor mij niet van de orde.
Details worden, gelukkig, niet beschreven. Anders had ik dit boek ook zeker aan me voorbij laten gaan, maar ook zonder die details zijn de gebeurtenissen onwezenlijk en vooral misselijkmakend. Uiteraard had ik niet anders verwacht.
Een rating ken ik liever niet toe aan dit boek. Het is een verhaal gebracht door een slachtoffer, over een ontzettend pijnlijke kwestie. Punten geven op inhoud, schrijfstijl, etc. is hier voor mij niet van de orde.
May 1, 2017
Dacă "Lapidarea Sorayei" mi s-a părut o carte tragică, "Răpită la 12 ani" este o carte mult mai tragică și mai sfâșietoare, deoarece protagonista este o fetiță de doar 12 ani.
"Mă aflam acolo de peste două luni, el mă ținea într-un asemenea hal de umilință fizică, încât îmi era din ce în ce mai greu să mă răzvrătesc și să-l scot din minți."
"Mă aflam acolo de peste două luni, el mă ținea într-un asemenea hal de umilință fizică, încât îmi era din ce în ce mai greu să mă răzvrătesc și să-l scot din minți."
July 16, 2017
** 4 STARS! **
"The future is waiting for me, and I have every hope that it will be a peaceful one, even if 'one can never forget the unforgettable."
***
Now what I don't quite understand is HOW people can find this boring.
I agree that the writing was very fucking amateuristic and translated into English quite badly but that is not the damn point of this IS IT?!
The point of this is to bring out the story, let you know what happened, once and for all. She's telling you what happened to her and what happened is ridiculously gripping and makes me sick.
Maybe it's different to me because I'm from Belgium myself and I'm more than just familiar with the name Marc Dutroux. Maybe it's different for people, not from Belgium, who don't know/see him as the most vile and hated person of their country. I can understand that.
But then again to class this as boring or rate it lowly because of the lack of gory details?!
That I don't understand.
What I could feel through this book though was the fact that Sabine was sick and tired of telling this story, I could feel it through the way it's been written. There was a certain level of bitterness in the words that told you 'this is the fucking last time I'm uttering these words'.
Which I do understand.
All in all, I was very interested in the story. Marc Dutroux is a figure here in Belgium who will never be forgotten or forgiven. He quite literally IS the most hated man and one of those people of whom you know that should he ever be released from prison (which he won't), he won't live any longer than 5 minutes.
People will end him and the authorities will let them.
That's how much that man fucked up.
I think eventhough she both didn't have to yet had no choice but to bring out the story, it was brave that she did the way she did it. For the rest I sincerely hope she's picked up her life well and continues to be happy!
"The future is waiting for me, and I have every hope that it will be a peaceful one, even if 'one can never forget the unforgettable."
***
Now what I don't quite understand is HOW people can find this boring.
I agree that the writing was very fucking amateuristic and translated into English quite badly but that is not the damn point of this IS IT?!
The point of this is to bring out the story, let you know what happened, once and for all. She's telling you what happened to her and what happened is ridiculously gripping and makes me sick.
Maybe it's different to me because I'm from Belgium myself and I'm more than just familiar with the name Marc Dutroux. Maybe it's different for people, not from Belgium, who don't know/see him as the most vile and hated person of their country. I can understand that.
But then again to class this as boring or rate it lowly because of the lack of gory details?!
That I don't understand.
What I could feel through this book though was the fact that Sabine was sick and tired of telling this story, I could feel it through the way it's been written. There was a certain level of bitterness in the words that told you 'this is the fucking last time I'm uttering these words'.
Which I do understand.
All in all, I was very interested in the story. Marc Dutroux is a figure here in Belgium who will never be forgotten or forgiven. He quite literally IS the most hated man and one of those people of whom you know that should he ever be released from prison (which he won't), he won't live any longer than 5 minutes.
People will end him and the authorities will let them.
That's how much that man fucked up.
I think eventhough she both didn't have to yet had no choice but to bring out the story, it was brave that she did the way she did it. For the rest I sincerely hope she's picked up her life well and continues to be happy!
October 25, 2018
It was really hard to read this book, so heartbreaking. I've read a couple of this kind of books and it's always tough. I can't believe these things happen for real.
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September 28, 2023Luisterboek
"Dit boek had niet mogen bestaan."
Dit boek bestaat vanwege de vreselijke gebeurtenissen die Sabine heeft moeten meemaken. Wat had ik het fijn gevonden als zij dit niet had hoeven meemaken en het boek dus ook niet zou bestaan.
Dit boek geef ik liever geen sterren, dat vind ik onnodig en dit verhaal lees je niet omdat het zo een mooi geschreven boek is of omdat het zulke leuke personages heeft. Dit boek lees je vanwege het vreselijke aangrijpende verhaal van Sabine Dardenne. In deze review wil er extra zeker van zijn dat alles wat ik zeg, respectvol is en klopt, vandaar dat deze review iets minder ingaat op details.
☁️MIJN SAMENVATTING☁️
Sabine Dardenne (12 jaar) rijdt op een gewone dag naar school op haar fiets. De route is niet lang en haar vader zwaait haar nog even uit. Ongeveer halverwegen wordt Sabine in een busje getrokken. Sabine komt die dag nooit aan op school. Ze beland in een kelder. Hier gebeuren de meest vreselijke dingen. Aan Sabine wordt vertelt dat zij met een reden in de kelder verblijft, maar dit blijkt een groot verzinsel. Sabine verblijft maarliefst 80 dagen in de kelder. Uiteindelijk met nog een meisje genaamd laetitia. Gelukkig bleef het bij 80 dagen (ondanks dat dat natuurlijk vreselijk lang is). Sabine en het andere meisje worden uit de kelder bevrijd en worden herenigt met hun familie. Ook lees je in dit boek over de rechtzaak, de hereniging met de familie en de thuissituatie.
🌷MIJN REVIEW🌷
Wat een verhaal. Vreselijk dat iemand dit heeft moeten meemaken. Sabine Dardenne zit boordevol kracht en ik vind het verhaal enorm aangrijpend. In dit boek vertelt Sabine wat ze wilt vertellen en dat vind ik heel mooi. Sommige dingen zijn dus nog wat vaag, maar ik sta er helemaal achter dat de gruwelijke details van zo een vreselijk verhaal echt niet altijd vertelt hoeven te worden. Sabine heeft haar verhaal mooi gedaan en is echt een hele krachtige vrouw.
"Dit boek had niet mogen bestaan."
Dit boek bestaat vanwege de vreselijke gebeurtenissen die Sabine heeft moeten meemaken. Wat had ik het fijn gevonden als zij dit niet had hoeven meemaken en het boek dus ook niet zou bestaan.
Dit boek geef ik liever geen sterren, dat vind ik onnodig en dit verhaal lees je niet omdat het zo een mooi geschreven boek is of omdat het zulke leuke personages heeft. Dit boek lees je vanwege het vreselijke aangrijpende verhaal van Sabine Dardenne. In deze review wil er extra zeker van zijn dat alles wat ik zeg, respectvol is en klopt, vandaar dat deze review iets minder ingaat op details.
☁️MIJN SAMENVATTING☁️
Sabine Dardenne (12 jaar) rijdt op een gewone dag naar school op haar fiets. De route is niet lang en haar vader zwaait haar nog even uit. Ongeveer halverwegen wordt Sabine in een busje getrokken. Sabine komt die dag nooit aan op school. Ze beland in een kelder. Hier gebeuren de meest vreselijke dingen. Aan Sabine wordt vertelt dat zij met een reden in de kelder verblijft, maar dit blijkt een groot verzinsel. Sabine verblijft maarliefst 80 dagen in de kelder. Uiteindelijk met nog een meisje genaamd laetitia. Gelukkig bleef het bij 80 dagen (ondanks dat dat natuurlijk vreselijk lang is). Sabine en het andere meisje worden uit de kelder bevrijd en worden herenigt met hun familie. Ook lees je in dit boek over de rechtzaak, de hereniging met de familie en de thuissituatie.
🌷MIJN REVIEW🌷
Wat een verhaal. Vreselijk dat iemand dit heeft moeten meemaken. Sabine Dardenne zit boordevol kracht en ik vind het verhaal enorm aangrijpend. In dit boek vertelt Sabine wat ze wilt vertellen en dat vind ik heel mooi. Sommige dingen zijn dus nog wat vaag, maar ik sta er helemaal achter dat de gruwelijke details van zo een vreselijk verhaal echt niet altijd vertelt hoeven te worden. Sabine heeft haar verhaal mooi gedaan en is echt een hele krachtige vrouw.
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July 25, 2012I don't want to rate this book.
I read it a 2 years ago. I found it in a second hand book shop. I live in Belgium. I grew up with the little picture of Julie & Mélissa on some people's windows. The story of all of those girls is common knowledge where I live and a reminder to not trust unknow people. When I was 10 or 11, the trial of Marc Dutroux was all over the papers. I remember reading about it everyday. She went to school where some friends went to. By reading this, I was expecting those horrifics things.
But I wasn't expecting the braveness of Sabine and the horror I knew became even more terrible. It was written with easy words, some repetition and some parts of the letters were left out. For me, the feeling of "not well written" makes this book more raw, like a secret somebody tell you.
I read, some people found the missing parts in the letters were kind of a weakness. I thought that too but I guess, Sabine has already told to many people this horrible story (with a lot of shame).
I read it a 2 years ago. I found it in a second hand book shop. I live in Belgium. I grew up with the little picture of Julie & Mélissa on some people's windows. The story of all of those girls is common knowledge where I live and a reminder to not trust unknow people. When I was 10 or 11, the trial of Marc Dutroux was all over the papers. I remember reading about it everyday. She went to school where some friends went to. By reading this, I was expecting those horrifics things.
But I wasn't expecting the braveness of Sabine and the horror I knew became even more terrible. It was written with easy words, some repetition and some parts of the letters were left out. For me, the feeling of "not well written" makes this book more raw, like a secret somebody tell you.
I read, some people found the missing parts in the letters were kind of a weakness. I thought that too but I guess, Sabine has already told to many people this horrible story (with a lot of shame).
April 28, 2009
Written by one of the two survivors of the 'Monster of Belgium', Marc Dutroux, I Choose To Live is an unsettling, upsetting but genuinley interesting account of what happened to Sabine Dardenne in her 80 days incarcerated in a hideout built into a cellar.
To say that this book is not very well written, jumps from one place to the next and doesn't flow particularly well seems unfair, given what the author has been through, but I must be honest.
Whilst being very interesting, and I recommend you read this book for a viewpoint not often seen (that of the actual victim of the killer/kidnapper), it isn't a literary masterpiece. It is, however, a quick read and will horrify you and sadden you, but grimly astound you also, as it is hard to believe that this actually happened, and is still happening today.
To say that this book is not very well written, jumps from one place to the next and doesn't flow particularly well seems unfair, given what the author has been through, but I must be honest.
Whilst being very interesting, and I recommend you read this book for a viewpoint not often seen (that of the actual victim of the killer/kidnapper), it isn't a literary masterpiece. It is, however, a quick read and will horrify you and sadden you, but grimly astound you also, as it is hard to believe that this actually happened, and is still happening today.
January 17, 2019
Eigentlich bin ich sehr vorsichtig damit ein Buch zu bewerten, in dem eine wahre Geschichte erzählt wurde. Ich möchte nicht über ein fremdes Leben werten, kann es letztendlich auch nicht, weil ich nicht in deren Schuhen gelaufen bin.
Am 28.Mai 1996 wurde die 12-jährige Sabine Dardenne auf offener Straße von Marc Dutroux entführt und 80 Tage gefangen gehalten - in diesem Buch erzählt sie nun ihre Geschichte, die mich so fassungslos zurücklässt, dass es schwer ist, dafür Worte zu finden.
Ich bin erschreckenderweise nicht fassungslos über das, was ihr angetan wurde - womit ich das Erlebte nicht verharmlosen will! -, sondern über ihr Verhalten. Auch wenn sie erst 12 Jahre alt war, kann ich nicht nachvollziehen, dass sie ihn als Retter sieht (und begründet nichtmal vor was er sie angeblich gerettet haben soll) und verabschiedet sich bei ihrer Rettung sogar mit einem Kuss von ihm.
Sie nimmt niemals Hilfe in Anspruch und verweigert bis zum Prozess, der erst acht Jahre später stattfand, psychologische Hilfe. Sie schreibt in diesem Buch, dass sie während ihrer Gefangenschaft alles verarbeitet hätte und nur nach vorne schauen will. An sich löblich, aber schwer vorstellbar, dass man einfach einen Haken setzen kann.
Zudem gleicht der Schreibstil in diesem Buch einer 12-jährigen, obwohl sie bereits 20 ist.
Am 28.Mai 1996 wurde die 12-jährige Sabine Dardenne auf offener Straße von Marc Dutroux entführt und 80 Tage gefangen gehalten - in diesem Buch erzählt sie nun ihre Geschichte, die mich so fassungslos zurücklässt, dass es schwer ist, dafür Worte zu finden.
Ich bin erschreckenderweise nicht fassungslos über das, was ihr angetan wurde - womit ich das Erlebte nicht verharmlosen will! -, sondern über ihr Verhalten. Auch wenn sie erst 12 Jahre alt war, kann ich nicht nachvollziehen, dass sie ihn als Retter sieht (und begründet nichtmal vor was er sie angeblich gerettet haben soll) und verabschiedet sich bei ihrer Rettung sogar mit einem Kuss von ihm.
Sie nimmt niemals Hilfe in Anspruch und verweigert bis zum Prozess, der erst acht Jahre später stattfand, psychologische Hilfe. Sie schreibt in diesem Buch, dass sie während ihrer Gefangenschaft alles verarbeitet hätte und nur nach vorne schauen will. An sich löblich, aber schwer vorstellbar, dass man einfach einen Haken setzen kann.
Zudem gleicht der Schreibstil in diesem Buch einer 12-jährigen, obwohl sie bereits 20 ist.
September 8, 2025
Dit was echt heel heftig, niet voor gevoelige lezers
April 21, 2017
Cycling to school one morning, in broad daylight on a normal residential street, Sabine Dardenne was kidnapped, imprisoned, raped and starved for 80 days. Several years later, this is her account of what happened, the lies her capturer told her, what she thought and how she behaved. If you're looking for prurient details, try a sensationalist newspaper report. What this book does is showcase not just how terrible the crimes were, but more exceptionally, the thought processes of the victim herself and how she was deceived.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
Marc Dutroux managed to persuade her that the kidnapping was to punish her father, a former policeman, for something he had done to a criminal ringleader and that he refused to pay her ransom because it was too much and she had been badly behaved. What's more, Dutroux described himself as her saviour who was protecting her from the evil ringleader who would kill her if she tried to escape. Apart from the fact she was small and physically incapable of escaping, she was kept underfed and was under immense psychological pressure.
Luckily for her, she was eventually discovered because he had kidnapped another girl - supposedly to keep her company - and the hiding place was revealed during the search. Eventually it was revealed that he had kidnapped several other girls, all of whom had been imprisoned and murdered or left to die. Sabine probably survived because she was small and weak enough to appeal to Dutroux, strong enough to withstand the privations, old enough to cope physically with the abuse, but more importantly, mentally strong enough to not to just give up. Possibly the fact that she sometimes talked back to him made him think of her as a real person, not just another of his victims. Maybe that's what kept her alive so long.
After her ordeal, she refused psychological help. That may be one of the things that helped her not to define her entire life and live it in the role of a victim. Of course she bears the scars, but it seems to have made her stronger. The book was written about ten years later. I hope she still feels as strong as she did when it was published and is not haunted by those 80 days.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
Marc Dutroux managed to persuade her that the kidnapping was to punish her father, a former policeman, for something he had done to a criminal ringleader and that he refused to pay her ransom because it was too much and she had been badly behaved. What's more, Dutroux described himself as her saviour who was protecting her from the evil ringleader who would kill her if she tried to escape. Apart from the fact she was small and physically incapable of escaping, she was kept underfed and was under immense psychological pressure.
Luckily for her, she was eventually discovered because he had kidnapped another girl - supposedly to keep her company - and the hiding place was revealed during the search. Eventually it was revealed that he had kidnapped several other girls, all of whom had been imprisoned and murdered or left to die. Sabine probably survived because she was small and weak enough to appeal to Dutroux, strong enough to withstand the privations, old enough to cope physically with the abuse, but more importantly, mentally strong enough to not to just give up. Possibly the fact that she sometimes talked back to him made him think of her as a real person, not just another of his victims. Maybe that's what kept her alive so long.
After her ordeal, she refused psychological help. That may be one of the things that helped her not to define her entire life and live it in the role of a victim. Of course she bears the scars, but it seems to have made her stronger. The book was written about ten years later. I hope she still feels as strong as she did when it was published and is not haunted by those 80 days.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2011
‘I’m getting out of here.’
On 28 May 1996, Sabine Dardenne was 12 years old: the age she is in the photograph she is photographed holding on the front cover of this book. On this day, Sabine was kidnapped by a notorious paedophile, a Belgian named Marc Dutroux. Sabine was taken from her bicycle as she was cycling to school, shoved into a van and then imprisoned in a small concrete cell where she was drugged, starved and raped until her rescue on 15 August 1996.
The photographs on the cover provide a contrast between an innocent child, and an assured looking young woman who has survived hell, and is looking to move on with her life.
It took seven years for the case to come to trial: Dutroux was found guilty of kidnapping six girls and murdering four of them. His wife was found guilty as an accomplice and was sentenced to twenty-three years imprisonment. Marc Dutroux had previously been sentenced to thirteen years for the rape of two children in 1989, but was released after three years on the basis of ‘good behaviour’.
Ms Dardenne chooses not to recount the extent of her abuse: ‘My suffering was my suffering and nobody else’s’, but her account of her imprisonment depicts the horrifying nature of her ordeal. The book also depicts what life was like for Ms Dardenne in the seven years between her ordeal and the trial of Marc Dutroux.
This was a difficult book to read, and I hope that Ms Dardenne achieves her objectives in writing it. One of those objectives is to reclaim her life, while another was that the judicial system will never again release a predatory paedophile like Marc Dutroux on the basis of ‘good behaviour’. I’d like to think that both objectives can be realised. It took courage to write this book, and it is a harrowing and uncomfortable read. But it is nowhere near as uncomfortable to read about Ms Dardenne’s experiences as it was for her to endure them, and her account serves as a timeless reminder of other lives lost or blighted at the hands of paedophiles.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
On 28 May 1996, Sabine Dardenne was 12 years old: the age she is in the photograph she is photographed holding on the front cover of this book. On this day, Sabine was kidnapped by a notorious paedophile, a Belgian named Marc Dutroux. Sabine was taken from her bicycle as she was cycling to school, shoved into a van and then imprisoned in a small concrete cell where she was drugged, starved and raped until her rescue on 15 August 1996.
The photographs on the cover provide a contrast between an innocent child, and an assured looking young woman who has survived hell, and is looking to move on with her life.
It took seven years for the case to come to trial: Dutroux was found guilty of kidnapping six girls and murdering four of them. His wife was found guilty as an accomplice and was sentenced to twenty-three years imprisonment. Marc Dutroux had previously been sentenced to thirteen years for the rape of two children in 1989, but was released after three years on the basis of ‘good behaviour’.
Ms Dardenne chooses not to recount the extent of her abuse: ‘My suffering was my suffering and nobody else’s’, but her account of her imprisonment depicts the horrifying nature of her ordeal. The book also depicts what life was like for Ms Dardenne in the seven years between her ordeal and the trial of Marc Dutroux.
This was a difficult book to read, and I hope that Ms Dardenne achieves her objectives in writing it. One of those objectives is to reclaim her life, while another was that the judicial system will never again release a predatory paedophile like Marc Dutroux on the basis of ‘good behaviour’. I’d like to think that both objectives can be realised. It took courage to write this book, and it is a harrowing and uncomfortable read. But it is nowhere near as uncomfortable to read about Ms Dardenne’s experiences as it was for her to endure them, and her account serves as a timeless reminder of other lives lost or blighted at the hands of paedophiles.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
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November 1, 2020It doesn't feel good to rate this book, therefore I won't. But I do like to offer my nuanced thoughts on this novel.
Her writing is not innovating or breathtaking, but she is not claiming to be an author as well. She is someone telling her story from her heart, wanting to get it out in the world for reasons only she can describe - which she does in her book.
I have immense admiration for her courage in bringing out this story. Leaving out the "sensational details" (as some people have disgustingly called it), is her own choice, her right, which I highly respect. It should not diminish the strength of her storytelling. It must've been extremely hard reliving these experiences and I am very glad to say I cannot relate to that.
I don't know how to conclude this review without going in circles, so I'll just say it one more time: I admire her highly for being so courageous and strong, for bringing out this story and letting us open our eyes to the horrors of this world. Her story definitely resonates after I closed this book. I hope she has indeed achieved her goal in writing this novel, whatever that was for her.
Her writing is not innovating or breathtaking, but she is not claiming to be an author as well. She is someone telling her story from her heart, wanting to get it out in the world for reasons only she can describe - which she does in her book.
I have immense admiration for her courage in bringing out this story. Leaving out the "sensational details" (as some people have disgustingly called it), is her own choice, her right, which I highly respect. It should not diminish the strength of her storytelling. It must've been extremely hard reliving these experiences and I am very glad to say I cannot relate to that.
I don't know how to conclude this review without going in circles, so I'll just say it one more time: I admire her highly for being so courageous and strong, for bringing out this story and letting us open our eyes to the horrors of this world. Her story definitely resonates after I closed this book. I hope she has indeed achieved her goal in writing this novel, whatever that was for her.
March 6, 2013
Boring. I'm not a bloodthirsty isensitive monster, but the dullness of her narrative lulled me to sleep. We don't learn anything interesting apart from the fact that she hated her tormenter and considered him 'a monster, an ogre, a psychopath, a paedophile'. What happened to her was surely a horrible thing and for this I feel sorry, but to write a book one has to master at least some basic storytelling skills.
March 19, 2025
Sommige boeken laten je niet meer los. ‘Ik was twaalf en fietste naar huis’ is er zo één.
In dit indrukwekkende en persoonlijke verhaal, vertelt Sabine Dardenne over haar ontvoering door Marc Dutroux en de 80 angstaanjagende dagen die daarop volgden.
Ze was pas twaalf jaar oud toen ze op weg naar school werd meegenomen en opgesloten in een kelder in zijn huis in Marcinelle.
Tijdens haar gevangenschap werd ze psychologisch en fysiek mishandeld, terwijl Dutroux haar probeerde te manipuleren door te doen alsof hij haar beschermde tegen nog ergere dingen.
Op 15 augustus 1996 werd ze, samen met Laetitia Delhez, door de politie bevrijd na de arrestatie van Dutroux. Uiteindelijk bleek hij verantwoordelijk te zijn voor de ontvoering en moord op meerdere jonge meisjes.
Sabine beschrijft in dit boek al haar actieve herinneringen. Vanaf het moment dat zij in een busje werd gesleurd, tot aan het moment dat ze als twintiger de dader recht in de ogen kijkt tijdens de rechtszaak.
En dit was intens kan ik je vertellen.
Wanneer Sabine vertelt over haar tijd in gevangenschap en hoe manipulatief Dutroux zich gedroeg, voelde ik vooral veel woede. Het is onvoorstelbaar dat iemand dat een kind, en in zijn geval meerdere kinderen, kan aandoen.
Toch gaat dit boek niet alleen over haar gevangenschap.
Sabine beschrijft ook hoe ze omging met de enorme media-aandacht na haar bevrijding, haar herstel en de rechtszaak tegen Dutroux.
Wat dit boek zo indrukwekkend maakt, is de manier waarop Sabine schrijft. Ze houdt het feitelijk en to the point, zonder zichzelf neer te zetten als een slachtoffer.
De verschrikkelijke dingen die haar zijn overkomen worden beschreven zonder echt in detail te treden, en nergens wordt het sensationeel. Ondanks alles voel je door het hele boek heen haar kracht en vastberadenheid.
En die kracht en die vastberadenheid zijn ongelooflijk inspirerend.
Als lezer vraag je je echt af waar ze deze kracht vandaan haalt en dit ontroerde mij enorm.
Sabine sluit haar verhaal af met hoe het op dat moment met haar gaat. En ze maakt meer dan duidelijk dat niets haar eronder zal krijgen.
Conclusie
Sabine Dardenne schreef dit boek om haar eigen verhaal te vertellen en om duidelijk te maken dat ze meer is dan ‘het meisje dat Dutroux ontvoerde’.
Wat mij betreft is zij hier absoluut in geslaagd. Haar vechtlust komt duidelijk naar voren.
Het is een heftig, maar ook inspirerend verhaal over overleven en veerkracht.
Na het lezen van dit boek kun je niet anders dan diep respect en bewondering hebben voor haar. Een aangrijpend en onvergetelijk verhaal dat je bijblijft.
In dit indrukwekkende en persoonlijke verhaal, vertelt Sabine Dardenne over haar ontvoering door Marc Dutroux en de 80 angstaanjagende dagen die daarop volgden.
Ze was pas twaalf jaar oud toen ze op weg naar school werd meegenomen en opgesloten in een kelder in zijn huis in Marcinelle.
Tijdens haar gevangenschap werd ze psychologisch en fysiek mishandeld, terwijl Dutroux haar probeerde te manipuleren door te doen alsof hij haar beschermde tegen nog ergere dingen.
Op 15 augustus 1996 werd ze, samen met Laetitia Delhez, door de politie bevrijd na de arrestatie van Dutroux. Uiteindelijk bleek hij verantwoordelijk te zijn voor de ontvoering en moord op meerdere jonge meisjes.
Sabine beschrijft in dit boek al haar actieve herinneringen. Vanaf het moment dat zij in een busje werd gesleurd, tot aan het moment dat ze als twintiger de dader recht in de ogen kijkt tijdens de rechtszaak.
En dit was intens kan ik je vertellen.
Wanneer Sabine vertelt over haar tijd in gevangenschap en hoe manipulatief Dutroux zich gedroeg, voelde ik vooral veel woede. Het is onvoorstelbaar dat iemand dat een kind, en in zijn geval meerdere kinderen, kan aandoen.
Toch gaat dit boek niet alleen over haar gevangenschap.
Sabine beschrijft ook hoe ze omging met de enorme media-aandacht na haar bevrijding, haar herstel en de rechtszaak tegen Dutroux.
Wat dit boek zo indrukwekkend maakt, is de manier waarop Sabine schrijft. Ze houdt het feitelijk en to the point, zonder zichzelf neer te zetten als een slachtoffer.
De verschrikkelijke dingen die haar zijn overkomen worden beschreven zonder echt in detail te treden, en nergens wordt het sensationeel. Ondanks alles voel je door het hele boek heen haar kracht en vastberadenheid.
En die kracht en die vastberadenheid zijn ongelooflijk inspirerend.
Als lezer vraag je je echt af waar ze deze kracht vandaan haalt en dit ontroerde mij enorm.
Sabine sluit haar verhaal af met hoe het op dat moment met haar gaat. En ze maakt meer dan duidelijk dat niets haar eronder zal krijgen.
Conclusie
Sabine Dardenne schreef dit boek om haar eigen verhaal te vertellen en om duidelijk te maken dat ze meer is dan ‘het meisje dat Dutroux ontvoerde’.
Wat mij betreft is zij hier absoluut in geslaagd. Haar vechtlust komt duidelijk naar voren.
Het is een heftig, maar ook inspirerend verhaal over overleven en veerkracht.
Na het lezen van dit boek kun je niet anders dan diep respect en bewondering hebben voor haar. Een aangrijpend en onvergetelijk verhaal dat je bijblijft.
July 25, 2025
5 sterren omdat het zo fantastisch moedig geschreven is, niet omdat de inhoud zo mooi was. Kippenvel.
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November 16, 2023Zo fucked up, heeft me laten huilen😢
March 30, 2011
I can't imagine the fear this woman felt as a twelve year old at the hands of this monster. I'm always so paranoid about this type of thing that I don't like to let my kids play outside without me. I have only allowed my oldest child to play outside without me two times, and each time I was so worried that all I did was go in and out of the house checking on her.
Pedophiles should be locked up for life! They can not change, so in my opinion there should be a special prison made just for them and they should have to go live there for the rest of their lives. Each day they should be told how discusting they are, and they should be treated like the lowest of the low.
This book broke my heart in so many ways. When I read about Sabine falling in love at sixteen and how she was worried becuase of what this man did to her it made me cry. Young love should never have such a dark shadow hanging over it.
This book is a warning! Monsters are real, and they look just like us! They have no morals. They enjoy your fear. Keep your eyes on your children becuase you never know when a monster has his/her eyes on them!
Pedophiles should be locked up for life! They can not change, so in my opinion there should be a special prison made just for them and they should have to go live there for the rest of their lives. Each day they should be told how discusting they are, and they should be treated like the lowest of the low.
This book broke my heart in so many ways. When I read about Sabine falling in love at sixteen and how she was worried becuase of what this man did to her it made me cry. Young love should never have such a dark shadow hanging over it.
This book is a warning! Monsters are real, and they look just like us! They have no morals. They enjoy your fear. Keep your eyes on your children becuase you never know when a monster has his/her eyes on them!
December 22, 2007
Sabine Dardenne was kidnapped when she was 12 and held for 80 days by a pedophile who had been previously convicted, but released for good behavior.
Most heartbreaking are excerpts from letters he allowed her to write to her family. (They were never delivered, of course, and proved to be valuable evidence in the trial.) The man who took her had her completely convinced that her parents knew where she was and what was happening to her, but couldn't or wouldn't pay a ransom that would release her. Her promises are full of good wishes for her family, who she assumes are carrying on without her--because that's what she's been told--and promises to be better if she can come home.This was more horrifying than anything I could ever imagine, read, or hear, about child sexual abuse--the way he convinced her that what he was doing was some sort of punishment that she had earned.
This book was written when she was only 20, her ability to persevere and articulate what happened to her are amazing.
Most heartbreaking are excerpts from letters he allowed her to write to her family. (They were never delivered, of course, and proved to be valuable evidence in the trial.) The man who took her had her completely convinced that her parents knew where she was and what was happening to her, but couldn't or wouldn't pay a ransom that would release her. Her promises are full of good wishes for her family, who she assumes are carrying on without her--because that's what she's been told--and promises to be better if she can come home.This was more horrifying than anything I could ever imagine, read, or hear, about child sexual abuse--the way he convinced her that what he was doing was some sort of punishment that she had earned.
This book was written when she was only 20, her ability to persevere and articulate what happened to her are amazing.
January 19, 2022
In een podcast over Dutroux die ik luisterde, werden citaten uit het boek aangehaald, waardoor ik erg benieuwd was naar het boek van Sabine Dardenne.
Ik vond haar verhaal uiteindelijk erg ingrijpend: zowel haar dagen in de kelder als de jaren daarna.
De schrijfstijl van het boek vond ik minder goed, waardoor ik ook moeite had met door het boek heen te komen. Dat vind ik jammer, omdat de schrijfstijl zo'n heftig verhaal niet in de weg moet staan, naar mijn mening. De sterren die ik dit boek geef, staan daarom ook volledig los van het verhaal want ik heb er vooral respect voor dat ze dit heeft willen en durven delen.
Ik vond haar verhaal uiteindelijk erg ingrijpend: zowel haar dagen in de kelder als de jaren daarna.
De schrijfstijl van het boek vond ik minder goed, waardoor ik ook moeite had met door het boek heen te komen. Dat vind ik jammer, omdat de schrijfstijl zo'n heftig verhaal niet in de weg moet staan, naar mijn mening. De sterren die ik dit boek geef, staan daarom ook volledig los van het verhaal want ik heb er vooral respect voor dat ze dit heeft willen en durven delen.
September 20, 2022
Zelden lees ik een boek opnieuw voor deze heb ik dus een uitzondering gemaakt. Het blijft erg beklijvend en intensief hoe zij alles in detail beschrijft van haar ontvoering en opsluiting.
Durf en lef om dit neer te pennen maar ook een trap in het gezicht van het monster dat haar dit als jong meisje deed beleven.
Durf en lef om dit neer te pennen maar ook een trap in het gezicht van het monster dat haar dit als jong meisje deed beleven.
February 5, 2018
Het voelt een beetje ongemakkelijk om dit boek een aantal sterren toe te kennen. Ik had dit boek al langer op mijn lijstje staan, omdat ik 'graag' de woorden van Sabine eens wou lezen over de ervaring die haar tekende voor het leven. In het boek worden een aantal details uit brieven weggelaten, waarvoor ik alleen maar respect heb. Uit de context kan je wel afleiden wat er allemaal aan de hand is. Om heel eerlijk te zijn, ik zou ze zelfs niet willen weten.
March 8, 2021
4 sterren vol bewondering voor de moed die Sabine Dardenne heeft gehad om dit neer te willen en kunnen schrijven. Het is niet geweldig goed geschreven (veel herhalingen, enkele tegenstrijdigheden), maar het is zeker inhoudelijk enorm krachtig. Een pure getuigenis die zelfs na zo veel jaar nog enorm veel impact heeft. Enorm veel respect voor de mentale kracht van Dardenne.
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January 29, 2022For obvious reasons not rating.
This book was an very emotional but real account on the horrible 80 days Sabine had to go trough.
This book was an very emotional but real account on the horrible 80 days Sabine had to go trough.
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