Police think the list of Fourniret's crimes may grow

The 62-year-old Frenchman has admitted killing nine people - mostly young girls - in France and Belgium.

On Monday, Belgian prosecutors charged him with the 1989 murder of one of the nine, 12-year-old Elisabeth Brichet.

Fourniret was previously charged with abduction and sexual assault - but police across Europe say he could be linked to many unsolved murders.

French police are expected to question Fourniret about the 1990 kidnapping and murder of 13-year-old Natacha Danais near Nantes in western France.

She is also among the nine people Fourniret has admitted killing.

The French authorities say they want to reconcile his confession with their own investigation.

Fourniret reportedly said he strangled the girl - however her body was found on a beach with stab wounds.

Arrest warrant

In the coming days, more French investigators are expected to question the defendant about killings in other parts of the country.

Two victims were found at Fourniret's former chateau in France

French police have said Fourniret could be linked to as many as 30 suspected murders.

On Monday, a judge in northern France issued a European arrest warrant against him, in connection with the death of two other French girls he has already admitted to killing.

Celine Saison, 18, and Mananya Thumpong, 13, were found dead in 2000 and 2001 respectively.

On Monday, Fourniret was formally charged with the murder of Belgian girl Elisabeth Brichet.

He was also charged with kidnapping, unlawfully imprisoning and raping her.

Her body was found earlier this month at one of the Fournirets' former homes, a chateau in northern France.

She had been buried along with 22-year-old Jeanne-Marie Desramault - whom Mr Fourniret has also admitted to killing.

Prosecutors had to wait until the two bodies had been formally identified before issuing murder charges in the Brichet case.

Europe-wide interest

The former forestry worker has been in Belgian custody since June 2003, when he was arrested on charges of kidnapping and sexual misconduct with a 13-year-old.

He confessed after his wife, Monique Olivier, gave information to police. She has now also been arrested, for failing to help a person in danger.

Last month Fourniret admitted to killing eight girls and women and one man between 1987 and 2001.

Belgian detectives are looking into the cases of at least 15 other girls who disappeared over the past 20 years and whose bodies have never been found.

Police in Germany, Austria, Denmark and the Netherlands are also looking into possible links between Mr Fourniret and unsolved crimes in their countries.

Fourniret was convicted to seven years in prison in 1987 by a French court for rape and indecent assault of minors, but was freed after a few months because of the length of time he had already spent in custody.