You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed centered on accusations of pedophilia within a family in northern France quickly took on national proportions as theinvestigation began to involve more and more local residents What began as a necessary investigation to protect the most vulnerable turned into a chaotic judicial spiral unfounded accusations and a lack of concrete evidence The documentary series explores the twists and turns of this complex affair from the first accusations to the resounding trials that followed expert analysis and the examination of period documents Outreau: Un cauchemar français attempts to understand how and why the judicial machine could have "seized up" bringing in its wake the shattered lives of many innocent people This documentary is a critical and necessary look at the flaws in the judicial system the dangers of prejudice and the ease with which an investigation can deviate from its primary objective: the search for the truth "Outreau: Un cauchemar français" doesn't just recount the facts; it invites reflection on the human consequences of these judicial errors and on the lessons to be learned to prevent such a tragedy from happening again Outreau: Un cauchemar français is a crucial testimony to the limits and responsibilities of our judicial system and a tribute to the lives affected by this affair New Netflix releases to watch in March 2025Discover the films, series and documentaries coming to Netflix in March 2025. 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Site powered by Webvision Cloud we're happy to send you some reminders Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications Home> Entertainment> Netflix Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse which some readers may find distressing And a new ‘disgusting’ crime series has ‘sickened’ viewers who switched it off before even getting to the end Having landed on Netflix on 15 March, the docuseries exposes one of the biggest scandals in history The four episodes have quickly started to trend on the UK streaming site as viewers are warned the series contains ‘depictions of sexual violence and domestic abuse’ The doc delves into ‘one of France’s biggest judicial tragedies’ as it looks back to a scandal from the 00s Potentially a bit of a difficult watch for many The Outreau Case: A French Nightmare has many viewers on X saying they had to turn it off The docuseires explains that between 1995 and 2000 in Outreau children were victim to prolonged sexual abuse with 18 people charged and held things became even more shocking – with the Netflix doc forcing it back under the spotlight The French miscarriage of justice ended up implicating most of the town’s residents with the case The synopsis adds: “Between accusation and counter-accusations Viewers said on X: “The Outreau Netflix documentary is making me sick to my stomach but the worse part is the ADULTS belittling the information the children gave considering what we know today and how sick the world is it’s not too hard to believe those accusations are true.” Another added: “I started watching the Outreau case on Netflix…..let me tell u there is not a single trigger warning that could prepare u for what those kids said happened to them I had to turn that sh*t off MY GOODNESS.” Others echoed: “Just started watching The Outreau Case: A French Nightmare on Netflix and the sheer depravity of what’s unfolding on my screen has left me speechless.” One simply put: “This is going to give me nightmares Many call it a ‘tough watch’ as they say the stories ‘made me sick’ The Outreau Case: A French Nightmare is now streaming on Netflix Topics: Netflix, True Crime, Documentaries, TV and Film Jess is a Senior Journalist with a love of all things pop culture. Her main interests include asking everyone in the office what they're having for tea, waiting for a new series of The Traitors and losing her voice at a Beyoncé concert. She graduated with a first in Journalism from City, University of London in 2021. InstagramXThreadsSnapchatTikTokYouTubeLAD Entertainment The Outreau case refers to a high-profile trial that took place in France from 2001 to 2005 involving allegations of an extensive child sex abuse ring in Outreau The case began when a woman named Myriam Badaoui reported that her children had been sexually abused leading to a lengthy investigation that expanded to include 17 accused adults While the accusations prompted a major prosecution the case was plagued by problems and controversies Numerous errors were made during the investigation and trial resulting in false accusations and wrongful convictions appeals led to acquittals of most of the defendants amid outrage over the mishandling of the case The Outreau trial became one of the most infamous miscarriages of justice in French history It highlighted flaws in the justice system and the dangers of hasty prosecutions based on unsubstantiated claims The case prompted major reforms in how France handles allegations of sexual abuse and the rights of defendants the Outreau affair remains a cautionary tale about the presumption of innocence and avoiding “trial by media.” France reported to the police that her children were being sexually abused by a group of adults in the neighborhood Her allegations stated that her four children ranging in age from six to thirteen years old were forced into sexual acts by up to 18 adults from the community She claimed the abuse had been ongoing for years and involved satanic rituals 13 adults were accused of abuse based on the allegations The accused included both men and women from working class backgrounds without any prior offenses Among the accused were the woman’s own parents and the parents of her children’s friends almost unbelievable nature of the accusations caused many to doubt their veracity from the start with several of the accused quickly detained The initial investigation into the Outreau child abuse case was launched in 2001 after a 13-year-old girl accused her parents and other adults of sexual abuse The allegations prompted French police to arrest 18 suspects who were accused of raping and prostituting children the investigation was flawed in several aspects: the Outreau investigation suffered from tunnel vision unbiased investigation may have prevented lengthy unjust incarcerations and irreversible damage to those falsely accused The failures highlight the need for reforms in handling allegations of child sexual abuse The initial trial for the Outreau case began on May 4 18 defendants faced charges relating to an alleged pedophile ring The proceedings were overseen by Judge Fabrice Burgaud alleged that the defendants had abused and raped children at various locations between 1999 and 2002 The accused included parents and neighbors of the alleged victims who were as young as 3 years old Multiple child witnesses testified during the trial Their often graphic accounts of abuse shaped much of the prosecution’s case the children’s testimony was inconsistent at times and frequently changed harsh sentences had been handed down by the court: The trial verdicts would spark controversy as major errors in the case soon came to light But the initial convictions reflected the court’s belief at the time in the children’s testimony and the prosecution’s account of horrific crimes The Outreau case was rife with errors and controversies that call the validity of the investigation and trials into question Several problems plagued the handling of evidence and testimony: The miscarriages of justice that occurred illustrated major flaws in the legal process: The Outreau case highlighted the potential for miscarriages of justice when investigations rely heavily on uncertain witness testimonies It showed how the wrongly accused can suffer great tragedies before their names are cleared 18 of the accused were acquitted by the Court of Appeal in Paris The court found the initial guilty verdicts were unsafe due to a lack of evidence The acquittals came after flaws in the prosecution’s case emerged including witnesses admitting to lying under police pressure The remaining 4 accused faced a retrial in Paris The final defendant was given a suspended sentence for making threats against a victim’s father but was cleared of abuse charges The retrial process corrected the grave miscarriage of justice from the initial flawed investigation and trial All 22 accused from Outreau were ultimately acquitted of the abuse charges due to a lack of evidence The acquittals demonstrated the importance of appeals and retrials in overturning unsafe verdicts they came too late for those who had already spent years wrongfully imprisoned The Outreau case had significant impacts on French law and prompted several legal reforms The most notable impact was that it exposed flaws in France’s legal system particularly in procedures related to prosecuting sex crimes against children Critics argued that the system relied too heavily on testimony from child victims allowing imaginations and suggestions to taint evidence Safeguards to protect accused were deemed inadequate French Parliament passed several legal reforms in 2005 and 2007 The reforms aimed to improve France’s ability to properly handle complex sexual crime cases involving children while also reinforcing presumption of innocence and due process The legacy of the Outreau case made the justice system more cautious about relying solely on victim testimony as well as more protective of defendants’ rights The Outreau case received extensive media coverage in France and internationally which was criticized as overly sensationalist Many French media outlets focused on lurid details of the allegations rather than maintaining objectivity The coverage created a media frenzy that put pressure on the justice system to deliver guilty verdicts Some key aspects of the media coverage included: critics said the sensationalized coverage crossed ethical lines and undermined judicial impartiality The Outreau case highlighted the need for the media to report responsibly during high-profile criminal cases The wrongly accused faced immense challenges after being acquitted and released from prison Many struggled to rebuild their lives after losing years of their freedom described the experience as having “broken” her life She suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and was unable to find work after the trial She eventually relocated to southern France for a fresh start He sued the state for €600,000 in damages but only received around €65,000 after legal fees Thierry Delay was awarded one of the highest payouts at €122,000 after spending 2 years and 2 months in prison the compensation could not make up for his lost time and reputation “We will never get those years back,” he lamented Other defendants reported broken marriages The scars from the experience would remain with them for life The Outreau case demonstrated how even the wrongly convicted struggle to reclaim their lives after acquittal The French state provided minimal support or compensation to help them recover and move forward Many felt they never received true justice for their suffering The aftermath highlighted the need for reforms to better assist the victims of miscarriages of justice The Outreau case revealed several flaws in the French justice system that enabled the miscarriage of justice to occur it highlighted the dangers of relying too heavily on children’s testimony particularly when suggestive and coercive interview techniques are used The case showed how easily young children can be manipulated into making accusations To prevent similar miscarriages in the future Video recording of interviews with child witnesses is now mandatory to document any leading questions or coercion by investigators Juries are instructed to consider the techniques used in child interviews and their potential effects Requirements for corroborating evidence were also strengthened so that child testimony alone is not enough to convict the Outreau case underscored the need for restraint and careful presumption of innocence by the public and media The families accused were presumed guilty from the outset causing extensive damage even before trial This atmosphere of public judgment clearly influenced the prosecution and first trial The case serves as a warning against sensationalist coverage and rush to judgment in abuse cases The Outreau trial was a clear failure of the French justice system But by learning from the case’s mistakes and implementing measured reforms France took steps to prevent such miscarriages in the future The case serves as a lesson for all justice systems on the dangers of relying solely on child testimony and upholding the presumption of innocence and website in this browser for the next time I comment © All rights reserved. Martin Cid Magazine we and our partners use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information Consenting to these technologies will allow us and our partners to process personal data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site and show (non-) personalized ads may adversely affect certain features and functions Click below to consent to the above or make granular choices. Your choices will be applied to this site only. You can change your settings at any time or by clicking on the manage consent button at the bottom of the screen The Outreau Case, a brand-new docuseries on Netflix brings a terrifying story to life behind its intriguing cast of real people Officially titled The Outreau Case: A French Nightmare this French-language docuseries examines a disturbing criminal case centered on a pedophilia ring which was said to take place between 1995 and 2000 Over a dozen children were deemed victims of rape with over 50 people investigated for those crimes and 17 of them prosecuted in court Initially discovered when school teachers and social workers saw strange behavior from four children in the Delay-Badaoui family those parents were reportedly responsible for heinous crimes against children in France The core subject of the documentary is a man named Thierry Delay accused of a laundry list of sexual crimes including rape and child abuse His son appears in the docuseries and recalls him using bed slats to beat his children and he also yelled at the kids and scared them while wearing a black cape and the classic white mask from Scream This recounting also notes how he would collect pornography and play it with his kids even having sex with his wife in front of them as they were made to watch he was convicted for the desecration of graves and exhibition of human skulls only further showing how sick of an individual he was He denied any such allegations in chatting with one of the core investigators on the case Myriam Badaoui was married to Thierry Delay living in the La Tour du Renard building in Outreau with her husband and kids Although she denied the same allegations levied against her husband she previously called social services on him and confirmed he committed those acts in a later meeting She admitted to being sick and abusing her children but she confused investigators as well with her back-and-forth allegations of who did what she confessed to abusing and raping multiple children naming her husband and neighbors as culprits as well Judge Fabrice Burgaud was the examining magistrate in the affair in Outreau using his interview to detail the crimes committed by the couple at the center of the story He became a magistrate to be useful to others working in an area of Outreau that had plenty of petty crime and drugs along with more disturbing crimes like rape and sexual assault He went to police raids of homes investigated in the case and he was the one who found over 160 pornography tapes and 10 human skulls in Thierry Delay's home Pascale Fontaine is another magistrate who examined much of the evidence presented in the case Her interview shows her reading through some of the childrens' letters sent to the police which detail some of the horrible abuse they suffered Fontaine explained how many of the kids were reluctant to speak up on the matter and truly express themselves especially having to handle such horrible trauma at such a young age Claire Montiped is a fellow magistrate interviewed for the Outreau case alongside Fontaine She helps detail for viewers how the child victims of this case thought during their testimonies as many were not able to tell their story linearly from start to finish Montiped looks back on seeing a tape of Thierry and Myriam openly having sex in front of at least one of their children which was not an uncommon occurrence according to other testimonies Didier Beauvais sits with Montiped and Fontaine in The Outreau Case as another experienced judge/magistrate looking at the events of this case Reading through testimonies from eyewitnesses and children involved with the case he repeats quotes saying how kids were speaking quietly and unable to look up as they provided insight into their experience Later commentary from him gives more insight into the terrible crimes these children suffered before the adults were arrested and tried Marie-Christine Gryson is a psychological expert who was appointed to the Outreau case by Fabrice Burgaud her job was to decipher whether the children she spoke to were telling the truth about their horrific experiences Showing a profound respect for Buragud as he worked the case she expressed great shock at how abominable some of the stories she heard from the victims were Fabienne Roy-Nansion provided legal counsel for David Deplanque one of Tierry Delay's neighbors and another suspect She was told during the case that Deplanque and his girlfriend were accused of statutory rape his girlfriend admitted it and confirmed what the Delays' children were saying Roy-Nansion read through a recounting of an incident where Delay forced his children to get involved with his and his mother's sexual exploits calling it the first time she would ever encountered an incestuous woman in her career Laurent Renault was a journalist who wrote for La Voix du Nord as the case unfolded even becoming the first person to write an article on what was happening He worked hard to find out more details as he called Burgaud about what was happening Burgaud did not want to say much as they both knew how horrible the crimes were Renault later visited the building where everything was allegedly taking place realizing that he could hear almost everything anybody said on any floor in the building This is how he put together that many people in the building had to be involved in keeping the pedophilia ring quiet finding a shocking number of child abuse cases Odile Polvèche is Court Bailiff Alain Marecaux's ex-wife both of them being indicted for crimes relating to this case Formerly working as a school nurse who loved her job her lawyer described her as someone who had not looked like she had slept in days She was also described as unprepared and dirty and she was appalled by some of the quotes she heard from kids who were abused Hubert Delarue was a lawyer for Alain Marecaux continually expressing astonishment that a case like this could be real throughout the documentary He made it clear that these kids were victims of incredibly traumatizing crimes and gave them his support but he also recollected how wild their stories sounded due to what they had suffered Frank Berton held a job as a lawyer for the previously mentioned Odile Polvèche who seemed to be on the outside looking in regarding this case he described this case as "the most sordid case in French history," cementing its place as one of the country's lowest moments Berton explained how his client denied knowing the Delay family and said she had never even been to Outreau which is similar to how Polvèche described the events in her interviews Anne-Laure Barret is another journalist who wrote about the events of the pedophilia ring in Outreau documenting the testimonies she heard about the case when Judge Burgaud was involved in a round of arrests that ended with six people going to jail in separate police precincts She also described the feeling of the people who lived in Outreau with half of the town reportedly accusing the other half of one crime or another after these arrests were made Olivier Rangeon held an important position as Daniel Legrand Jr.'s lawyer as Legrand attended a witness consultation with Delay and multiple other suspects in the case His client was emphatic and adamant that he was innocent of the accusations he faced with Rangeon sharing how Legrand said he would be lying to the jury if he admitted to committing those crimes he later reads a confession from Legrand admitting to those very crimes pointing out other suspects in pictures he looked at during his testimony and other meetings Eric Dupond-Maretti worked as a lawyer for 36 years including for Roselyne Godard in the Outreau case Known as "The Acquitter," he built an impressive reputation for his work as detailed through past interviews and he put in every effort to find the truth in the trial of the accused pedophiles Yves Crespin served as a lawyer for civil parties who worked as one of the prosecutors on the case doing his best to find out what was happening with the pedophilia ring Noting how the defense attorneys were especially prepared to protect their clients he made sure that the jury heard and believed the children who gave testimonies of what they had been through Stephane Chochois' expertise comes through his job as the forensic doctor and expert at the court of St the site of many crimes detailed in this docuseries Chochois looked at this case from the perspective of the children involved commenting on how sad it is to see someone that young have to take the stand in court He also admitted how difficult it must be for those kids to have to speak about their parents being abusers in front of so many people although he explained how people are more inclined to believe children than adults much of the time Merry Christmas Movie Twist Ending Explained Full Cast of The Program 2024 on Netflix: Meet the Real People In New Ivy Ridge Documentary Series Marvel Studios Canonizes 11 Seasons of MCU Netflix Shows Full Cast of Girls5eva Season 3 - Every Main Character & Actor Who Appears (Photos) Copyright © 2025 The Direct Media Group LLC Earlier this week, Netflix dropped one of its most shocking true-crime documentaries to date The four-episode docuseries revisited one of the biggest scandals in French history featuring both a tragic case of child abuse and unprecedented judicial disaster The Outreau Case: A French Nightmare quickly found itself in Netflix’s top ten most watched for the week and left viewers speechless The content is so severe that the docuseries opens with a trigger warning: “This series contains depictions of sexual violence and domestic abuse.” 12 children fell victim to heart-wrenching and prolonged sexual abuse The trials that followed took place in 2004 and 2005 The case had lasting impact on the victims and the town’s residents for the rest of their lives The Outreau Case has placed the French miscarriage of justice under a global spotlight once more Here's some information about the main people involved in the case The entire documentary centres on Thierry Delay - a man accused of a long list of crimes including rape and child abuse of his own children and others His son tells the producers that he was beaten and would traumatise them whilst dressed up as a horror character The documentary states he forced his children to watch as he had sex with his wife Thierry was also found guilty of the desecration of graves in the years prior to the sexual abuse claims and the sick couple had four sons together Despite also being found guilty of abusing and raping children it was Myriam who called social services to investigate her husband Her son, Jonathan, one of the victims, said in the documentary: “I think the only good thing she ever did was call social services.” Myriam implicated a huge number of other people in the community Fabrice was the examining magistrate of the case and uncovered 160 porn tapes and 10 human skulls Pascale was another magistrate of the case During the documentary, she read out letters from the children victims which illustrate the depravity of the abuse they suffered appointed to the Outreau case by Fabrice Burgaud It was her responsibility to surmise whether the children were telling the truth about their horrific experiences Fabienne provided the legal counsel for Thierry and Myriam’s neighbour David denied it but his girlfriend admitted the charge and confirmed that the children were telling the truth about their experiences was the first person to report on the salacious crimes He visited the building where the abuse had allegedly been taking place and noted that he could hear almost everything people were saying on each floor This led him to understand that there must have been many people involved in keeping the occurrences of paedophilia and abuse quiet Anne-Laure was another journalist reporting on the case She opened up about a round of arrests that ended in six people being taken to separate police precincts She further explained the eerie atmosphere in the town of Outreau at the time as it felt like everybody was accusing each other of being involved in the scandal Olivier was a lawyer for Daniel Legrand Jr - another accused suspect in the case Daniel was initially adamant of his innocence yet later wrote a confession of being involved in the crimes Olivier recounts Daniel’s time in court and who he made eye contact with during his testimony Daniel was cleared of any wrongdoing which was highly controversial at the time a forensic doctor and named expert during the case surveyed St.Omer - the site where many of these crimes are said to have taken place He recounted how devastating it was to have to watch young children take the stand If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child If you are a child seeking advice and support Topics: Documentaries, Netflix, True Life, Crime Kya is a Journalist at Tyla. She loves covering issues surrounding identity, gender, sex and relationships, and mental health. Contact: [email protected] Posted by | Mar 18 THE OUTREAU CASE: A FRENCH NIGHTMARE is a new Netflix documentary series from France This true crime docuseries has four episodes and might sound like a lot before all ending up as one of France’s biggest judicial tragedies We’ve watched true crime cases before where a prosecutor sees an opportunity for a career-making case Continue reading our The Outreau Case: A French Nightmare review below The Netflix true crime docu-series The Outreau Case: A French Nightmare is a scary thing to watch it’s scary because the crimes that children are accusing adults of are heinous there’s enough evidence that at least this one household was a living hell Then it turns scary because suddenly everyone living near this household is accused a lot more children come forward with accusations testimonies seem to fit together to support one another This all began in northern France in the early 2000s when the young Judge Burgaud was in charge of investigating accusations of pedophilia in a family A brutal case involving just two families becomes a huge case that seems to involve most of the small suburb in one way or another and a case is built entirely on testimonies and/or what the accused admits to Once the many defense lawyers become involved physical examinations disproof the accusations but this isn’t enough to untangle the legal machine powering on During The Outreau Case: A French Nightmare and even one of the now-adult children from the original case that set the wheels in motion While there can be little (or no!) doubt that the original case of child abuse was very real Judge Burgaud ended up building a case that reminded me of a few other documentaries the problem is that kids are the witnesses who are asked about very particular people and events Often they simply agree to a story or build on something they are told Even the “coincidences” make sense when all is revealed in episode 4 Check out the Netflix docuseries The Confession Killer where one man admits to virtually every unsolved murder they ask him about. we finally come across a Judge who looks at the evidence – or the lack thereof She’s a wonderful breath of fresh air in this Netflix docuseries as she sits there with her red-framed glasses and floral-patterned pants she never once blames the children for their false testimony she recognizes they have been virtually brainwashed into repeating (maybe even believing) things that never happened The filmmakers involved with this Netflix true crime docuseries are Oron Adar, Anna Kwak (Who Killed Little Gregory?) this works very well because there’s always some form of help for us viewers There are many people (children and adults) involved in this case A must-watch for anyone who enjoys getting to the bottom of true crime cases and recognizes how things spiral out of control The Outreau Case: A French Nightmare was released on Netflix on March 15 A tragic affair of child abuse and judicial disaster one of the biggest scandals in French history I write reviews and recaps on Heaven of Horror it does happen that I find myself screaming I have a huge soft spot for a good horror-comedy and I absolutely HATE when animals are harmed in movies so I will immediately think less of any movie where animals are harmed for entertainment (even if the animals are just really good actors) horror doesn't use this nearly as much as comedy And people assume horror lovers are the messed up ones The Outreau Case: A French Nightmare is a true crime docuseries premiering Friday were put on trial for sexual abuses against minors It was one of the most lurid cases seen in France a spectacle that unfortunately ended in a notorious failure How could one even think that the children weren’t telling the truth “The Outreau Case” is a four-episode docuseries about the Outreau trial a small seaside village barely known in France came into the limelight in February 2001 when an investigation was launched into pederasty that made Outreau a well-known place Four children were interrogated by the police The Outreau case embroiled several neighbors all accused of serious offenses within the same building The media didn’t hesitate to sensationalize it with dramatic headlines As narrated in this Netflix documentary it turned into a judicial spectacle that led to one of the most flagrant judicial errors in French justice these true crime documentaries are accused of over-dramatizing situations to the point where it’s almost fiction “The Outreau Case” shares this same flaw (or maybe virtue) where events are depicted as if from a mystery movie so we have no criticism for the creators who also accurately recount the events “The Outreau Case” is a hard-hitting documentary that speaks volumes about judicial mistakes and the media trial that condemned before evidence was presented If you’re a fan of such documentaries it also objectively and accurately tells the story including an interview with the presiding judge Netflix The Outreau case refers to a high-profile trial that took place in France from 2001 to 2005 involving allegations of an extensive child sex abuse ring in Outreau, a town in northern France. The case began when a woman named Myriam Badaoui reported that her children had been sexually abused, leading to a lengthy investigation that expanded to include 17 accused adults. Read more There is inarguably no bigger sin than pedophilia and there’s nothing wrong with having them as long as a child is not subjected to any of them when eighteen adults were accused of physically abusing as many as seventeen young children in the La Tour du Renard neighborhood of Outreau And to think that it actually started with a seemingly normal but incestuous family where the children were raped by their own parents is absolutely horrific Netflix’s The Outreau Case: A French Nightmare delves into the details of that whole thing But the Outreau case was never a simple thing like pedophiles being put behind bars (as they should be) for committing heinous crimes and that’s about it What started as a very necessary investigation into the accusations that were made by the children eventually turned into a huge legal debacle This is one diabolical case where an examining magistrate needed to appear in front of the jury and the attorney general of a country had to do a press conference live from the courtroom!  The Netflix docuseries is a deft examination of the whole thing, from start to finish. Director Oron Ador has been cautious enough to not sensationalize the matter, which is a praiseworthy thing as many documentary filmmakers have the tendency to do that, resulting in the whole thing turning into a sordid mess (case in point: The Indrani Mukerjea Story true crime is the genre where Netflix excels the most and The Outreau Case: A French Nightmare is a profound example of that uncomfortable watch that makes you think about many things A five-year-old uttering the words “adult film” when he’s asked if he wants to see a cartoon or something is never a normal thing But that’s exactly what little Jonathan Delay did which made his foster family do the very obvious thing: contact the authorities had a skull collection and was prosecuted before for desecration of the skulls and he has no qualms about admitting that his father was a sick monstrous man who used to hurt him and his brothers when they were kids as she also used to participate in vicious activities with her husband which eventually took away the Delay children and put them in foster families Jonathan acknowledges it as the only good thing his terrible mother ever did for them The Delay couple were not the only ones who hurt the kids Myriam not only confirmed what Jonathan and the other kids were saying was true; she also named various other people who would come to their house and do unspeakable things to the kids—along with her and Thierry a couple who used to live in the same La Tour du Renard neighborhood were the first names that were dropped by Myriam.  should be considered the red-letter day for the whole Outreau affair as that was the day examining magistrate Fabrice Bourgaud ordered the arrest of several people he did that based on what the children said and also after consulting psychological expert Marie-Christine Gryson Bourgaud and Gryson both appear in the docuseries played a huge role in the entire Outreau affair which only adds credibility to the documentary we get to know how shocked she was when David confessed to all the allegations made against him after initially denying them he and Aurelie had no plans to be part of something that terrible they got carried away in an intoxicated state More names started coming out: Francois Mourmand who was the godfather of one of the Delay children; Roselyn Goddard who used to be known as “The Baker” thanks to her profession; her husband Christian; the Delay’s neighbor David and Karine all of whom were accused and investigated.  One of the most significant things about the Netflix docuseries has to be the huge number of people who were actually involved in the case Journalists Anne-Laure Barrett and Laurent Renault both worked extremely hard when it came to breaking the news to the public and we got to know about a lot of things from these two.  more names started to come out—this time of people most of whom didn’t even live in La Tour du Renard And these people were much different from the people of the working-class neighborhood of Renard Block Court bailiff Alain Marecaux and his wife Odile from the same Blackbird apartment where the Delays lived Fabien was shocked again to find out about the court bailiff especially as she knew him thanks to them having worked together Alain and Odile were an upstanding couple with a great house and good jobs they were not the kind of people who would hang out with people from Renard Block Their social stature allowed them to hire top lawyers like Frank Berton and Hubert Delaque both very well-known and highly respected advocates Hubert and Frank also make appearances in the documentary and keep telling how they never had any doubts about the innocence of their respective clients vehemently kept denying all the accusations against them Alain and Odile said they didn’t even know Thierry and Myriam let alone commit such awful things with them But Bourgard had enough evidence to put all of them in jail Things got messier when more child victims were discovered—and psychologist Gryson had no reason to not believe any of them She felt a child couldn’t tell things in such vivid detail if they hadn’t experienced it Despite Alain and Odile denying the accusations they fell further into the mud when their own son accused Alain of molesting him The Outreau affair took another significant turn when Legrand Jr including everyone else’s participation in tormenting the kids for fun but he also mentioned the murder of a little Belgian girl aged 9–10 The neighboring country had already become a part of the whole thing when Myrium wrote letters to magistrate Bourguard where she extensively talked about taking the kids to some Belgian farms to shoot adult films Jonathan and the other kids were even taken to Belgium to see if they could recognize the farms Jonathan did confirm everything his mother said although he failed to spot the particular farm the animals on the farms were also violated by the monsters who didn’t hesitate to make the children copulate with the animals Jonathan also backed Legrand Jr.’s claim that the predators assaulted and beat the Belgian girl to death Thierry made Jonathan help him bury the body nearby But even after digging up a whole lot of the ground where the body could possibly be buried still holds on to whatever he said back then Things got into reverse gear when Legrand Jr started claiming that whatever he said about the murder all that he did was an attempt to fish out the real truth by trapping Myriam this was something that was very hard to believe for anybody where all the accused and the victims were supposed to testify through which the judge and the jury would reach a verdict the trial for the infamous Outreau case took place in Saint-Omer Alain Marecaux had made several suicide attempts and Magistrate Bouguard was highly criticized by the defense lawyers for believing everything Myriam said and reaching a conclusion according to only that was out on bail while people who didn’t confess were inside several people speak about Myriam Badaoui’s intimidating presence during the investigation and the trial Another man who had a towering presence over the trial The man happens to be the present French Minister of Justice and his celebrity status as a lawyer was unquestionable back in the time of the Outreau trial The trial was going in a rather predictable way: Myriam was sticking to her statement while Aurelie and David were supporting her Thierry said he blacked out during many things and a lot of it had slipped from his memory Although when he was asked if he had raped his own children continued to plead not guilty as the defense lawyers—Hubert and the rest—tried to prove that the children’s words couldn’t be taken as gospels of truth the big turnaround came when Hubert started grilling one of the Delay kids She said she didn’t know Odile and Alain; the priest was actually nice to them and nobody really harmed her kids—other than themselves and the other couple everyone who was rotting in jail got released on bail who kept maintaining that whatever he did was based on the evidence only The verdict of the trial was as shocking as Myriam’s sudden change in statement and the remaining ten were put behind bars Despite Myriam saying nobody other than the four of them was guilty The verdict was expected to be met with a lot of criticism.  requested an appeal trial that took place in a closed-door court in Paris in November 2005 at the end of which all six of the appellants got acquitted describes how things went down in this trial where she had to tell the Lavier kid that no evidence of physical abuse was found on her body despite her claim of three men raping her.  The acquittal of the six was not the most sensational thing of the appeal trial; it was the French Attorney General’s sudden appearance in court even before the verdict and a press conference where he went on to apologize for such a huge failure of the justice system I’m sure this is the question that popped up in your head after finishing The Outreau Case: A French Nightmare This surely has a lot to do with Jonathan Delay himself appearing in the documentary and claiming that none of the acquitted people should be out of prison then at least thirteen pedophiles are roaming free out there and even making appearances in Netflix documentaries (if you consider Odile) which is simultaneously horrific and unbelievable The law exists to find the truth and provide justice we should believe in the innocence of the thirteen people then what these people have suffered is unimaginable that doesn’t denounce the credibility of the children’s statement as the documentary doesn’t forget to reveal that a lot of testimonies given by the kids were actually influenced by their foster families who kept talking about the Outreau case amongst themselves It is beyond doubt that Jonathan and eleven other kids were indeed subjected to barbaric treatment The law also confirmed that in the official verdict The French justice system went through a lot of fixes; Judge Bouguard was even called in front of a parliamentary committee where the entire nation got to hear him give his statement Bouguard seems rather careful about his words He also talks about a defense mechanism that helped him get through the whole thing.  Whether you believe in what Jonathan said or the final verdict But we can all agree upon the fact that kids as little as five years of age had to experience something that no kid should ever go through and that only happened because of this sickness of humankind And we are living in a world where such things can actually happen Netflix is no stranger to dropping true crime docuseries that make our jaws drop Netflix’s latest limited series is currently the eighth most watched on Netflix UK, and while it has viewers gripped they have also been left feeling sick to their stomachs The four-episode docuseries revisits one of the biggest scandals in French history The Outreau Case: A French Nightmare opens with a trigger warning that reads: “This series contains depictions of sexual violence and domestic abuse sources are available at wannatalkaboutit.com.” The docuseries begins by explaining that between 1995 and 2000 in Outreau children fell victim to heart-wrenching and prolonged sexual abuse eighteen people were charged and held but what follows is shocking to the highest degree The French miscarriage of justice implicated most of the small town’s residents in a shocking case of paedophilia and abuse and had a lasting impact on the victims for the rest of their lives The docuseries from Netflix now puts this heartbreaking chain of events under a global spotlight once again - and viewers have rushed to social media to share their horror One wrote: “Just started watching ‘The Outreau Case: A French Nightmare’ on Netflix and the sheer depravity of what’s unfolding on my screen has left me speechless.” Another said: “Watching the Outreau Case and I want to throw up A third expressed their disgust: “I’m watching this Doc While a fourth commented: "The new Netflix docu 'The Outreau Case' is really disturbing." Not everybody was able to make it through the harrowing series in one sitting One user wrote on X: “Just started The Outreau Case on Netflix I don’t know what I was expecting but Jesus 20 mins in and I’ve had to pause it for a bit!” Topics: Netflix, TV And Film, Documentaries Kya is a Journalist at Tyla. She loves covering issues surrounding identity, gender, sex and relationships, and mental health. Contact: [email protected] a series of heinous child sex abuse allegations erupted in the small town of Outreau in northern France 17 adults were tried in connection to the alleged pedophile ring involving at least as many children And at the center of it all was Myriam Badoui Delay — so As covered in the Netflix four-part series The Outreau Case: A French Nightmare, Badoui Delay and her husband, Thierry Delay, had four children of their own who began to display strange sexual behaviors at school. According to the Netflix show, Thierry was a porn addict who, in 1993, was convicted of desecrating human graves the Badoui Delay home was troubled from the start the sexual abuse investigation of the Badoui Delays spread with Myriam accusing neighbors in their apartment building and some of whom had little connection with Myriam or her children The Outreau Case soon crossed the border into Belgium with horrific child sexual abuse accusations involving bestiality In the end, Myriam Badoui Delay received a 15-year prison sentence for raping her four sons, but she was released for health reasons but was later back in jail for theft and writing bad checks. Since then, it’s believed she’s changed her identity Thierry was sent back to jail on sex abuse charges in 2020 and the truth of the Outreau case caused the French government to apologize for judicial malfeasance years later As those who’ve seen the Netflix show are aware there was terrible sexual and psychological abuse at the heart of the Outreau Case but not to the far-reaching extent Myriam Badoui Delay suggested and her accusations ruined the lives of many people Why she accused innocent people of irredeemable acts remains a mystery as does the reason why some went along with the lies she spread in a case of mass delusion and hysteria It’s a cautionary tale about humankind’s impressionable nature and the fallibility of memory If you know someone suffering from sexual violence, contact RAINN or the National Sexual Abuse Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 The page you are looking for does not exist. Try searching for another one, or simply go home. Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual assault which some readers may find distressing Netflix is great at delivering documentaries that shock viewers but one of its latest titles has actually left people feeling ‘sick to their stomach’ The Netflix series focuses on alleged crimes with four episodes detailing how an investigation into four children from one family turned into one of 'the biggest scandals in French history' Titled The Outreau Case: A French Nightmare, the series reveals how the children from the family began to open up about abuse they had faced, prompting their parents to admit to sexual abuse the case only got more convoluted when the couple started naming neighbors and friends who had allegedly also been involved As the investigation went on, it uncovered an alleged pedophilia ring which included suspects such as a priest The mother later retracted her accusations against the others in her community and told the court she was a 'sick woman and a liar' A number of viewers took to X to share their thoughts after attempting to watch the documentary In a post on the platform formerly known as Twitter one viewer commented: "The Outreau Netflix documentary is making me sick to my stomach but the [worst] part is the adults belittling the information the children gave considering what we know today and how sick the world is it’s not hard to believe those accusations are true.” Another wrote: "I started watching the outreau case on Netflix…..let me tell u there is not a single trigger warning that could prepare u for what those kids said happened to them I had to turn that s**t off MY GOODNESS." A total of 18 people were accused of being involved in the Outreau case six of those 10 were acquitted of the crimes If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) operates 24 hours a day and receives calls from throughout the United States Topics: Crime, Film and TV, Netflix, True crime, Sexual Abuse, World News, Twitter Emily Brown is UNILAD Editorial Lead at LADbible Group She first began delivering news when she was just 11 years old - with a paper route - before graduating with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University Emily joined UNILAD in 2018 to cover breaking news commissioning and writing human interest stories from across the globe before moving to the role of Editorial Lead Emily now works alongside the UNILAD Editor to ensure the page delivers accurate