A security guard at the Anderlecht Public Social Welfare Centre (CPAS) and two police officers were injured Wednesday morning during an intervention involving an aggressive individual at the institution’s premises.
The incident occurred at around 10:30 a.m. Police were called after a man was reported to be disrupting the peace at the CPAS.
According to authorities, the individual initially injured a security guard. When officers arrived, the man continued acting aggressively, injuring one of them before finally being subdued with the help of a canine unit. The suspect was detained, and an investigation into the events has been initiated by the public prosecutor’s office.
President of Anderlecht’s CPAS, Guy Wilmart, stated the man claimed his mobile phone, which he was charging, had been stolen.
When the security guard asked him to remain calm, he attacked the guard. Upon the arrival of the police, the suspect assaulted one of the officers and then barricaded himself inside a maintenance room, partly damaging it.
The CPAS closed its doors for the rest of the day on Wednesday. A notice posted at the entrance read: "Due to a grave attack on staff, the CPAS is closed this 25 March 2026." The institution is expected to reopen on Thursday morning.
The municipality of Anderlecht expressed solidarity with CPAS staff. A debriefing was scheduled for Wednesday, with local authorities emphasising their commitment to tackling all forms of violence, especially verbal abuse, against communal staff.
