She and fellow captive Laetitia Delhez survived, though the bodies of four other kidnap victims and Dutroux's accomplice were found on the property.
He convinced Dardenne that he was her only ally and that her parents had failed to produce the ransom that would save her from fictitious men who wanted to kill her.
During the trial, Dutroux claimed to be a minion of a continent-wide pedophile ring that included prominent individuals and the legal établissements in Belgium.
Dardenne's account of her abduction and its aftermath are documented in her memoir J'avais douze ans, j'ai pris mon vélo et je suis partie à l'école ("I was twelve years old, I took my bike and I left for school"), the title was later changed to I Choose To Live during publication.
[citation needed] -I Choose To Live (2005) Virago Press, London (Original title: J'avais 12 ans, j'ai pris mon vélo et je suis partie à l'école)