A Scouts trip in Limburg was cut short last weekend when a hidden camera was discovered in a shower.
The 'Sea Scouts' group from Nieuwpoort (West Flanders) had intended to spend three days at Beringen camp in Limburg, but left on Friday when a hidden camera was discovered in a shower. Along with parents, local police were promptly informed. They have confiscated the camera and are now conducting an investigation.
"The only thing we know is where this camera was found," Jan Verbeure, head of FOS Scouting, told Het Nieuwsblad. "We do not know who installed it, or if the suspect is internal or external to the scouts. It is now up to the police to do their job."
"I have been working for FOS Scouting for a few years now and this is the first time I have experienced something like this – and I hope it is the last time," Verbeure continued. "I still have to process it all myself. Going to camp is about having fun and playing. Something like this is obviously not part of that."
He indicated that the children on the trip have been offered psychological support. Neither the police nor FOS Scouting will disclose any more details about the investigation at the moment.
Potential suspects remain unknown to the public. It is also unknown whether or not any individuals were filmed.
Second incident this summer
A similar incident occurred on a separate Scouts trip in early July. At a camp in Lierneux (Liège), a 16-year-old member of a Scouts group from Leuven hid a camera in a toilet cubicle. The device was discovered, the teenager's parents were notified and he was sent home. The police were also alerted and an investigation into the perpetrator's motives is ongoing.
Scouts and Guides Flanders (SGV) corroborates the information but insists that there is no recurring pattern. "I don't want to say there is a trend," Jan Van Reusel of SGV told Het Nieuwsblad. "This has indeed happened on two occasions, but maybe a distinction should be made between malicious intent by adults and a bad joke by a 16-year-old. In any case, this is unacceptable."
This article was updated at 15:30 to include additional information.
