Hundreds of people turned out yesterday to pay tribute to a widely-respected social worker who was killed last week in Ghent.
Erik Boone, 56, from Wetteren in Flanders, died on 13 August during a home visit he was making as part of his job working for the Public Welfare Centre (OCMW-CPAS).
The incident took place in an apartment in a social housing block on Kikvorsstraat in the Nieuw Gent neighbourhood of Ghent. A colleague raised the alarm at 19.45 on Wednesday evening after Boone failed to return to the office.
Police attended the scene to investigate and found his lifeless body inside the apartment. He had been stabbed to death. The 38-year-old man who lived in the property has been charged with his murder.
‘More than just a colleague’
Yesterday, around 1,000 people attended a vigil for Boone in the Nieuw Gent neighbourhood of Ghent.
A number of his colleagues addressed the crowd, paying tribute to his compassion and professionalism.
"Today we reflect on the loss of someone who, for many of us, was more than just a colleague. Erik was a source of warmth, wisdom, and commitment," said one.
"It's hard to grasp that we're saying goodbye to someone who was such an essential part of our team and our hearts."
Another added: "He was someone who always looked beyond the file, who saw the person behind the problem. We will try to continue that example, however difficult it is without him."
Mourners attend a vigil for the social worker who was stabbed to death last week. Credit: Jonas D'Hollander/Belga.
According to Het Laatste Nieuws, Boone had worked as a social worker in Ghent for more than 25 years, working at various locations across the city since 1999. For the past 12 years, he had been based at the Nieuw Gent centre.
One colleague told Flemish media that Boone “didn't have a family” and that his “work was his primary focus”.
“He poured all his energy into it,” said the colleague. “Everything else that happened was secondary. Except for his cycling trips: he loved to talk about those, like his trips to the Ardennes. He also attached great importance to those."
During yesterday’s commemoration, a minute of silence was observed. Afterwards, attendees released white wish balloons as a symbol of support and solidarity. Many expressed their appreciation for Boone's years of dedication as a social worker.
Suspect charged with murder
A murder investigation has been opened by the East Flanders Public Prosecutor's Office.
The 38-year-old suspect was arrested after a search of the city centre and later charged with murder.
Belga News Agency reported that the suspect is of Syrian descent and has lived in Belgium for several years. He was not previously known to the police or the judiciary.
The man has reportedly been admitted to a psychiatric hospital several times and exercised his right to remain silent during his interrogation, according to VRT Nieuws.
The prosecutor’s office confirmed that a panel of psychiatric experts has been appointed to examine the suspect following a ruling by the Ghent investigating judge.
This assessment could take several months. The panel will also analyse the suspect’s criminal capacity.
He will appear before the pre-trial detention centre in Ghent today, 18 August. The centre will decide at a later date whether he will be detained or put on trial.
Flowers and stuffed toys at the post box of the OCMW-offices in Nieuw Gent. Credit: Nicolas Maeterlinck/Belga.
Safety concerns
Boone’s murder has sparked a countrywide debate about the safety of social workers during home visits.
According to unions, many OCMW-CPAS staff fear for their safety. "That someone should pay with their life for doing their job is completely unacceptable," union secretaries Stephan Van de Meirssche (ACOD) and Peter Wieme (ACV) said in a statement last week.
They pointed to increasing aggression against city and emergency services workers, including paramedics and firefighters.
Yesterday, Wieme said that increased safety for care providers must be a “key priority” and reiterated the need to invest in measures that better protect social workers during home visits.
He added: It's very clear to us: cutting personnel costs in the social sector is not possible. On the contrary, more investment is needed in personnel and safety."
In the wake of the incident, all OCMW-CPAS service centres, welfare offices, and other relevant services were closed in Flanders.
In a statement yesterday, the city of Ghent confirmed that OCMW-CPAS offices have now resumed operations, with the exception of the centre in Nieuw-Gent at Rerum Novarumplein where Boone was based. The welfare office will remain closed for the time being.
According to the city, services at the other centres may still be “slightly disrupted” in some places. Staff will be given the opportunity to gradually resume their work schedule and postpone certain home visits if they are not yet ready to carry them out.
