Flemish Civil Servant Attacks Surge 60%, Minister Acts

Reports of aggression and unwanted behavior against Flemish civil servants surged by more than 60% in 2025, prompting Flemish Minister of Internal Affairs Hilde Crevits (CD&V) to enact sweeping new measures that allow government agencies to suspend dossier processing for aggressive individuals. The Flemish government recorded 3,068 reports last year, up sharply from 1,875 in 2024, according to data released by the minister on Wednesday.

The Scale of the Problem

More than 8 out of 10 reports — 2,552 in total — originated from the Agency for Growing Up (Agentschap Opgroeien), which oversees youth care and child welfare services including Kind & Gezin. The majority of incidents involved psychological violence, followed by physical violence, harassment, and unwanted sexual behavior.

“We mainly receive reports from services with a lot of personal citizen contact, where sometimes less pleasant messages are conveyed,” Crevits told VRT NWS.

The sharp increase is part of a broader societal trend. VDAB employment counselors, for example, saw a tenfold increase in aggression reports over the past decade — from 65 incidents in 2015 to 633 in 2025, according to data reported by HLN. In the first four months of 2026 alone, 263 reports were filed against VDAB staff — more than in all of 2022.

New Measures Take Effect

A revised Flemish Service Charter, communicated via circular letter on July 17, now gives government entities the authority to take aggressive behavior into account when assessing a citizen’s dossier. Depending on the type of service, this can mean temporary suspension of advice or guidance, loss of access to public domains for forest rangers, or suspension of dossier processing until calm is restored.

“Every form of aggression will henceforth have consequences for the dossier of the person involved, depending on the type of service,” Crevits said, as reported by HLN.

Addressing concerns about citizens’ right to service, the minister was firm: “If people want to exercise that right, they must do so in a serene manner. Otherwise, the dossier may be put on hold until calm has been restored.”

Support and Prevention

All Flemish government services are now required to offer psychological assistance to employees who are victims of aggression. A comprehensive toolbox has also been developed with recommendations on precautionary measures for high-risk interventions, de-escalation techniques, and post-incident care protocols.

Since April 2026, a new low-threshold digital reporting tool has been available on the Flemish government’s internal website, allowing civil servants to report incidents directly without going through a confidential counselor. Crevits noted that the threshold for reporting has partially disappeared. “Since COVID, we increasingly dare to talk about it. Previously, there was more taboo surrounding it,” she told VRT NWS.

Broader Context and Legal Gaps

The rise in aggression coincides with significant policy changes. Since January 1, 2026, job seekers who have been unemployed for more than two years lose their unemployment benefits under a federal reform. VDAB counselors are often the ones who must deliver this news, leading to increased confrontations.

However, a notable legal gap remains: aggression alone is not currently grounds for sanctioning benefit recipients. Federal law determines the list of reasons for which unemployment benefits can be suspended, and “aggression” is not included. Flemish Minister of Work Zuhal Demir (N-VA) has stated that a proposal to add “violence” to this list is being developed before summer 2026, according to HLN.

What to Watch

The effectiveness of Crevits’ new measures will depend on several factors: whether they withstand potential legal challenges regarding citizens’ right to service, how the federal government addresses the gap in sanctioning aggressive benefit recipients, and whether the increase in reporting reflects a true rise in incidents or simply better reporting through the new digital tool.

Minister Crevits was unequivocal about her stance: “No civil servant should feel unsafe. We want to clearly demonstrate that aggressive behavior will not be tolerated.”

The coming months will reveal whether these measures succeed in reversing the trend — or whether the broader societal forces driving the increase require deeper, more systemic solutions.