It is a rainy night in the southern outskirts of Charleroi. Down the street, a woman sits hidden in an unremarkable car, patiently waiting for someone.
Strangers pass by the vehicle now and then. When a minibus covered in fluorescent stripes stops by, she rolls down the window, revealing herself.
“Are you alright ma'am? What are you doing here all alone?” asks one of the uniformed police officers with a look of concern and suspicion. Roxane doesn’t say much in return. She pulls out a licence and hands it over to the police. Another minute passes, no questions asked, and they leave her in peace.
Who is this mysterious woman? A spy, perhaps, or a bodyguard of sorts? Not quite – she is a private investigator.
From real estate to real drama
Roxane was not always a PI. Before Covid-19 hit, she spent 15 years working in the real estate business. Even then, there were signs she might be suited to a different kind of profession. “Piloting aircrafts was my hobby and I went from A to Z to become a professional pilot, but I always only flew for myself,” she tells The Brussels Times.
An opportunity to sell her share of the business arose, so she decided to be bold and went for it. “I just wanted to do something fun, to be on my own with no one telling me what to do," she explains. "I was about 40 at the time, so I thought: it's now or never.”
Her family didn’t share her enthusiasm, thinking the decision was reckless. “Oh god, what is she doing?” Roxane recalls them saying. She had to prove herself with extensive studying and learning the trade through many sleepless nights. But now, she is sure “she will die as a private investigator”, and runs her own agency, RB Investigations.
PIs in Belgium
The profession of the private detective is highly regulated in Belgium, even by European standards. Unlike material gathered from ordinary citizens, evidence collected by investigators is recognised by judicial authorities, so there is a lot of scrutiny on who gets to do the job.
If you are thinking of a similar career path, be ready to pass a gruelling two-year course within the Federal Public Service (FPS) to get your licence.
A common image of a PI in the English-speaking world is one tied to noir detectives. People often imagine gnarled, world-weary ex-cops in trench coats, chain smoking cigarettes, with a revolver at their belts. Roxane challenges this image.
“The job in Belgium is not what it is in the United States, where they carry arms and are adjacent to the police. Here, we are not working hand in hand with the law enforcement,” she says.
The country even has a special three year cooling-off period for law enforcement and intelligence officials, making sure they can’t leverage their active knowledge and networking for their benefit by becoming private detectives.
“There is the image that people know in the movies," says Roxane. "But you can be waiting for hours in front of a door and nothing happens. Then someone gets out in mere seconds and that’s when the adrenaline kicks in and it is incredible. I love it!”
Workflow of a Belgian private eye
Credit: Kosmos Khoroshavin / The Brussels Times
Why do people go to private investigators, often paying hefty sums, when the police are there? According to Roxane, there is a big difference between the two.
“I will work for you, since you are paying me to do it. I’m not saying the police are not working for people, but in a lot of cases they simply don’t have the time or resources," she explains. "They will also refuse to investigate certain cases, like adultery or workplace absenteeism on behalf of a business."
The cases PIs take on are quite broad. For a generalist like Roxane, they include adultery, alimony payments, people searches, abusive absenteeism, unfair competition and workplace theft.
Most Brussels detectives are hired by businesses as in-house employees, and are as such able to only work for the interest of their employers. This line of work pays better, but it is not as satisfying, according to Roxane.
What PIs cannot do
Sometimes there are situations when the police are better equipped to handle something, she admits – mostly when it comes to criminality: “We don't have access to a lot of intelligence or rights that the police have, because we are not them. Sometimes people would call us, asking ‘can you tap my husband’s phone or place a tracker under a car?’. I answer, ‘No, we don't do that.”
The limits of the profession are outlined in data protection frameworks such as GDPR and specialised legislation, like the 2024 Private investigation Act. These regulations put a lot of restrictions on the sector, and for newcomers, a great deal of time is spent on understanding the boundaries of their work.
For example, a single person can only be surveilled for four days under normal circumstances. If nothing happens within the timeframe, there is no way to get around this. In addition, it is not always permissable to take pictures of someone, especially when they are on private property. Once the operation is over, if a PI's report is used in court, the target of surveillance must be notified.
Operating with a partner
Roxane says that for most cases, she operates in a pair. "I choose my own partner, a person I’m sure I can trust,” she says. This approach builds relationships, creating a small network of professionals ready to assist each other.
While research and open source-intelligence gathering are a big part of the job today, most of the field work consists of tailing and surveillance to catch targets red-handed. This also includes navigating language barriers and national borders, like crossing to Luxembourg – something Roxane has had to do throughout her career.
When it comes to PI operations, the most efficient tool is a smartphone. “My iPhone is my best friend," says Roxane. "Everyone has one these days, it's inconspicuous." But, more sophisticated, James Bond-style gadgets are also used – earpieces, smart glasses, binoculars and even infrared or night vision cameras.
What makes or breaks a detective
According to Roxane, the two most important traits for a private investigator are empathy and patience. “Sometimes what you see will break someone’s entire life. So it can be very difficult to call them and pass on the news,” she says.
When it comes to skills, good driving and lightning-speed reactions are needed. She gives an example: “ I was in Zaventem once waiting for someone for two nights. It was past midnight and I just had one second to recognise my target. It goes really quickly.“
Another ultimate test is being able to recognise non-legitimate cases. “That's what makes a good or bad private investigator," she explains. "If you call me and ask to find someone, you have to prove your intentions. We are very aware some people, like abusive husbands, can be deceitful. Preliminary investigation into the client and a gut feeling can really help.”
A unique lifestyle
The many quirks of the profession lead to a unique lifestyle, one that Roxane describes as very exciting, but tough nonetheless. It can be tricky to make a living this way and it puts a strain on work-life-balance and family life.
Roxane herself has two children and a husband. If not for their support, it would be hard for her to carry on with the job, she says.
Moreover, being a woman in such a male-dominated profession is not always easy. Roxane sees this as a benefit, all things considered. She mentions being able to blend in more easily into spaces like schools and catching people off-guard. Not many suspect her of being a private investigator.
The work of detectives like Roxane arguably gives people hope at times when all hope seems to be lost. Two cases have lingered long in her memory: finding the mother of an adopted person, who was looking for their blood relatives, and helping a single mother regain custody over her children who were stuck with an abusive, alcoholic father.
“There is this feeling that we are working on the good side, you know? I stand behind the right people and that is important for me.”
