BBC News Online: World: Europe

Belgium defends king against 'assault'

The Royal Palace has denounced the book

A statement issued by the office of the Prime Minister, Guy Verhofstadt, described it as "an unacceptable assault on the dignity of our nation and its people".

The book, published by Flammarion under the title Paedophile Dossier - the Scandal of the Dutroux Case, suggests that Albert attended sex parties in the 1970s and 1980s where children were abused.

The royal palace has issued an unprecedented condemnation denouncing the "grotesque accusations" against the King, who came to the throne in 1993.

Ambassador's warning

The palace said it was incomprehensible that Flammarion would discredit itself by publishing "allegations made by fantasists in search of sensation".

On Monday the government instructed the Justice Minister, Marc Verwilghen, to "take the necessary steps" against the company.

The book has already been published in Belgium and is about to be published in France, despite a warning from the Belgian ambassador.

It was written by Luxembourg-based investigative journalist Jean Nicolas, who says he makes no accusations against King Albert, but merely publishes legal documents written by a Belgian judge.

He says the official inquiry was never finished.

The Belgian daily newspaper, Le Soir, accused Mr Nicolas of trying to obtain "the head of the King, and also of Belgium itself".

Marc Dutroux, a convicted child rapist at the centre of a national paedophilia scandal in the 1990s, is awaiting trial on further charges of raping and killing four teenage girls.