Coast escapes flood disaster after nighttime sabotage, ex-lock keeper before judge: “Incomprehensible what inspired that man” (Domestic)

On the night of June 19 to 20, 2022 – one of the driest periods since measurements were taken – the locks were opened and the pumps activated at six locations in the polder area in two hours. It was low tide at the time and the polder began to empty towards the sea in record time. The lock keeper at the time discovered the sabotage by chance during a nighttime inspection and was thus able to prevent the area between Bredene and Zeebrugge from being flooded by two meters.

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According to Charlotte Sintobin, lawyer for the public administration ‘Nieuwe Polder van Blankenberge’, which manages the locks and pumps in question, a catastrophe was only narrowly avoided. “If the locks had still been open at high tide at 7 o’clock in the morning, the centers of De Haan, Zuienkerke, Blankenberge and Wenduine would have been flooded,” she argued at the trial before the Bruges court on Thursday. “It would have caused an unprecedented disaster.”

Suspicion quickly fell on Zuienkerkenaar SD (42). The man had been a lock keeper for two years. Images from cameras with license plate recognition and data from his mobile phone linked the man at the time of the facts to the targeted lock complexes in Blankenberge, Zeebrugge, Varsenare, Bredene and Jabbeke. After repeated interrogations, the man admitted his presence, but strongly denied the manipulations. “I was passionate about my job and just wanted to see if things had been updated,” it sounded unconvincing.

“If the locks had still been open at high tide at 7 a.m., the centers of De Haan, Zuienkerke, Blankenberge and Wenduine would have been flooded.”

Charlotte Sintobin

Lawyer

During the sabotage, passwords were entered and cables torn loose so that the alarm did not activate. “The perpetrator clearly had knowledge of the matter,” said prosecutor Mike Vanneste. “He also had the necessary keys. Only in Varsenare was a door kicked in.” According to Vanneste, as a former lock keeper, it was a piece of cake for SD to copy the keys. “In his interrogations, the defendant contradicted himself. It is incomprehensible what inspired him,” said Vanneste, who requested application of the criminal law.

Control procedures

Nieuwe Polder van Blankenberge became a civil party in the case and is demanding 60,000 euros in damages. “After the facts, peace of mind within the service was difficult to find for a long time and the organization was also placed under increased supervision,” says Charlotte Sintobin. “Inspection procedures have also been tightened, which requires more manpower. The damage to our image is of course also enormous.”

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SD must answer for, among other things, vandalism and attempted vandalism, hacking, counterfeiting of keys and invading a port area. It is not clear what his motive might have been. The fact is that his father, who was a lock keeper for 40 years, pushed him into the job against his will. After two years he finally resigned himself and his cousin became a lock keeper. The defendant’s father then wanted to join the board of directors, but was met with a negative decision.

The defense will not be heard until September 19. After all, the Public Prosecution Service added an official report to the file and the defense wants to be able to read it first.