Asper (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Vandals damaged the new Scout hall in Asper, Gavere, destroying chairs and a picnic bench. Mayor Karel Hubau and Scouts’ spokesperson Sien Vande Kerckhove confirmed police are investigating.
As VRT News reported, Vandals attacked the new Scout hall in Asper, near Gavere, in the province of East Flanders, Belgium, causing serious damage to its outdoor area. The intruders forced open the gate on Wallebosstraat and broke garden chairs and a wooden picnic bench.
Pieces of the furniture were left scattered across the property. The damage was discovered by a neighbour walking his dog, who called the police right away. No one was present at the hall when the attack took place.
“The scout building has only just been built, and the fact that something like this is happening now is truly sad and unacceptable,”
the municipality said.
What caused damage to the Asper Scout Hall?
Mayor Karel Hubau (Gavere Dares/N-VA/CD&V) said the vandals likely entered the property from Vlienderweg through the football club’s grounds. He explained the attack probably took place after Scout activities ended on Saturday evening, Nov 15, 2025, and before the KFC Gavere-Asper matches started on Sunday morning, Nov 16, 2025.
Police are investigating the case, but no suspects have been identified. Authorities urge residents to remain alert and report any unusual activity. The town is taking the attack seriously and is working to prevent further acts of vandalism at the Scout hall.
“I would rather have invested this money in the children,”
Mayor Karel Hubau said.
The local Scout group expressed deep disappointment after vandals damaged their new hall.
“We were so looking forward to this new building,”
says Sien Vande Kerckhove of the non-profit organisation Nele.
Officials mentioned that Scouts have a limited budget, and money that should go to children’s activities will now be used to replace the damaged equipment. Local authorities said they will work with the Scout group to file a complaint against the unknown perpetrators. They are also asking residents for information that could help identify those responsible.
“We’re working with the scouts to see what preventative measures we can still take,”
says Hubau.
“But we also hope to identify the vandals. We’re also urging anyone who may have seen anything to report it to the local government.”
Incidents of vandalism against Scout groups have happened in Belgium before. In August 2015, vandals broke windows, sprayed graffiti, and destroyed tents at a Scout hall in Kraainem. In May 2019, a Scout building in Turnhout was found completely ransacked, even though there were no signs of a break-in.
The cases include a fire at a Scout hall in Veltem-Beisem in May 2025, which authorities confirmed as arson, and an attempted fire at a Scout camp in Wallonia in July 2022, for which a man was arrested.
