Officers from the Border police zone drew up a report on Saturday in connection with the destruction of a statue of cartoonist Willy Vandersteen. Vandals dragged the bust from its pedestal. The statue has been on the Willy Vandersteenplein in Heide-Kalmthout for many years.
“We indeed drew up a report and also started a neighborhood investigation,” says Patrick De Smedt of the Border police zone. Comics expert and Kalmthout resident Jan Francken is at the heart of it. “Willy Vandersteen, the spiritual father of Suske and Wiske, among others, is not only an honorary citizen of Kalmthout, but also an internationally respected artist. It is with pain in my heart that I have discovered that vandals have damaged Willy Vandersteen’s statue. Again, because it’s not the first time. But it is the first time that the bust has been completely removed from its pedestal. Fortunately, the statue itself is not broken.”
“I have seen that some shops on Willy Vandersteenplein have cameras and I hope that those images can help find the perpetrators”
Jan Francken
Comic fanatic
Statue pulled from its pedestal. — © rr
“Suske and Wiske and of course Willy Vandersteen are cultural heritage for Kalmthout. Antwerp has Brabo, Tongeren has Ambiorix and Kalmthout has Willy Vandersteen. If vandals were to attack the statue of Brabo or Ambiorix, it would be news for the national press. Given the cultural and emotional value of those images, I understand that too. But in Kalmthout, a vandalized statue of Willy Vandersteen causes much less commotion and I don’t understand that. I hope that the research will yield something and that the municipality will take action to prevent this type of vandalism. I have seen that some shops on Willy Vandersteenplein have cameras and I hope that those images can help find the perpetrators,” adds Jan Francken. Patrick De Smedt of the police: “We have indeed inquired with the companies that have cameras on the square. We do not yet know whether they contain usable images.” (evdw)
Picture in better days. — © evdw
Tags: Vandals remove Willy Vandersteen statue pedestal Kalmthout time Kalmthout
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