Wallonia still has over 3000 kilometers of asbestos-cement pipes. Installed underground after World War II, these pipes deliver drinking water to many households in Belgium. However, over time, it has been discovered that some of these pipes deteriorate. Fibers are released and end up in tap water. But what are the health risks? Is ingesting asbestos fibers as toxic as inhaling them? These are the questions we ask for this first issue of 2022 of #Investigation.

Wallonia's endangered heritage An investigation by Lucie Dendooven and Stéphanie Desmedt. The investigation begins in a castle converted into a pigsty. It continues throughout Wallonia. Classified monuments are being demolished, while others fall into ruin. Under economic pressure and real estate speculation, our heritage is threatened with extinction. Yet, this heritage brings returns: one euro invested yields three. Our Investigation team wanted to understand. They questioned municipal and regional authorities, but above all, they visited the Awap, the Walloon Heritage Agency, responsible for its management but currently experiencing an unprecedented internal crisis.

This could happen to us tomorrow, an accident in life, an illness, and become incapable of managing our assets. In Belgium, nearly 120,000 people are placed under guardianship. A figure on the rise with the aging population. An investigation into a law supposed to protect the most vulnerable and questions the control of professional estate administrators. They are lawyers. They manage the portfolios of hundreds of vulnerable people. Some line their pockets. Who are these scammers diverting sums, sometimes colossal, right under the noses of justices of the peace who are supposed to oversee them? An investigation by Martine Ernst and Axel Van Weyenbergh.

Last October, several young women claimed to have been drugged and then raped in bars in the trendy area around the Ixelles cemetery. These incidents sparked two protests, gathering nearly 2000 angry women. In the aftermath, an Instagram page called 'Balance ton bar' (Expose Your Bar) was created. It shared testimonies from numerous young women who also saw their lives turned upside down one evening, when they just wanted to have a drink... What is the frequency of these assaults in the nightlife scene? Are other bars affected? What substances do the perpetrators use? Who are they? The investigative magazine examines what are called 'date rape drugs' and the physical and psychological devastation of the victims unlucky enough to have them in their glass...

What was supposed to be the happiest day of their lives turned into a nightmare... This week, #Investigation investigated the mistreatment experienced by some women during childbirth. They are referred to as obstetric violence. This can include acts performed by healthcare personnel without anesthesia, without the patient's consent, or even verbal and psychological abuse. According to a recent study, in Belgium, 4 out of 10 women who have given birth say they have been victims of such violence. These abuses are not new, but recently, women have finally dared to speak out against them.

Declining sales, chefs wanting to return their stars, scathing criticism against the new management— the Michelin Guide is going through a tough period, to the extent that some predict its demise in the coming years. #Investigation delved into the rating system of the red guide and analyzed the impact of its stars on restaurateurs, with a frightening realization: the majority of establishments that have lost their stars risk bankruptcy the following year.

An investigation by Samy Hosni and Julien Monfajon

"When I was 15 and a half, I read an advert for a role in a short film on a reference site for Belgian actors [...] he ended up slipping his hand under my jumper and kissing me by force". Virginie (not her real name) took four years before she dared to speak out and lodge a complaint. The man now stands before the Nivelles magistrates' court, charged with serious offences including possession of child pornography. In front of our camera, he sarcastically says: "I don't always ask how old the girls are". Virginie's story has been exposed because young girls have dared to speak out. A voice still too often confiscated by shame...

Ashamed of having trusted a photographer who claimed to be close to the stars, ashamed of having clicked on the link to an agency with a racy website, ashamed of having paid money without asking questions, ashamed of having trusted their many virtual friends, ashamed of having taken her daughter or son on a fictitious adventure... "I paid 450 euros for a few photos sent over Messenger"... "I filmed with a director who had made 13 films, but none of them actually exist"... "My daughter started crying during the shoot"... "I'm still waiting to work with them ... ", "It was her dream... "

Investigation takes you into a world where the promised glory comes from so-called image professionals whose reputation is largely virtual. At the end of the click, there's a financial scam, as well as murky matters of morality. So how do you make your way into the limelight without burning your wings? Through courageous testimonies and informed opinions, you will discover the incredible manipulative abilities of those who weave their web through social networks. But also, their sense of omnipotence and impunity that leaves no one safe.

The French-speaking bakery federation (Fédération francophone de la boulangerie) has brandished the risk of bread at... 5 euros, fuelled by a disorientated cereals market. Ukraine is one of the world's breadbaskets and the war started by Putin has disrupted sowing, will hamper harvesting and has blocked all exports. Some countries in the south fear the worst because most of their bread wheat comes from Ukraine. Russia, on the other hand, is a key producer of fertilisers. World cereal production could be disrupted as a result. In Belgium, there are fears of a domino effect and soaring prices, right up to bakery counters. #Investigation wanted to understand what was really weighing on our agricultural production chain, and how far we could be dragged down by this economy dictated by a war affecting our borders. Fertiliser producers, farmers and livestock breeders, millers, bakers... all know that the hardest part may still be to come. And the €5 bread may not have been just a joke! A #Investigation feature by Alain Vaessen and Jean-Michel Dehon

Belgium has become a paradise for bicycle thieves. More than 300 cases a day, a theft every five minutes. No town is spared. The #Investigation teams set out on the trail of these thieves, who seem to be deterred by nothing. Whether it's the occasional thief or mafia gangs moving from one country to another. Their targets, above all, are electric bicycles, demand for which has exploded since the start of the pandemic. Bicycle theft has a considerable economic impact, costing over a hundred million euros a year. This scourge is also discouraging tens of thousands of new cyclists who want to use their bikes to combat global warming.

In Belgium, almost half of all schools are suffering from a shortage of teachers. It's not a recent problem - school heads have been denouncing it for almost 20 years. But in recent months, the shortage has intensified. Covid has something to do with it, but it doesn't explain everything. Lack of respect and supervision, a cumbersome system and administrative burdens: the most experienced can't take it any more, and the youngest are giving up. After just one year in the job, 25% of new teachers leave the profession. Maths, science or language teachers, schools in Wallonia and Brussels are trying to counter the shortage, but the study rooms are still full. How serious is the problem and what are the consequences for pupils? An investigation by Jean-Christophe Adnet and Adrien Lasserre.

It's a danger to the planet that is still largely underestimated. Invasive species are a threat to biodiversity, but also to the economy. The annual cost has been estimated at over €160 billion worldwide. And this figure is likely to rise. In Belgium, the invasive superstars are the Asian hornet, the tiger mosquito, the giant hogweed and the raccoon. They are rapidly getting out of control. In just 20 years, raccoons have conquered the whole of Wallonia: there are estimated to be between 50,000 and 75,000 of them. For years, the authorities failed to recognise the danger, despite calls from experts, with the result that it was impossible to eradicate the invasive species that had become established in Belgium. Worse still, some of them are sold illegally in specialist shops. An investigation by Samy Hosni and Patrick Destiné

Every year in Wallonia, 30,000 tonnes of waste are thrown away. This represents a cost of 84 million euros to the public. But there is a solution: extending the deposit system to cans and plastic bottles would cut the amount of waste by 70%, as 14 European countries have found since they switched to deposit systems. So why is Belgium the exception? And, above all, who is responsible for public uncleanliness?

Rising temperatures are disrupting climatic conditions and upsetting the Earth's equilibrium: increased drought, more frequent heatwaves, threats to biodiversity, warming and rising seas and oceans. The water is rising inexorably, and the consequences are already clearly visible: on the Belgian coast, in the Netherlands, in New York and in the Maldives. In the four corners of the globe, #Investigation met those who are already fighting against the consequences of rising sea levels. Pharaonic projects are being planned and built everywhere to combat rising sea levels: dykes, dams, artificial islands. Global warming is now a fact of life, and men and women all over the world are trying to cope with it.

CPAS: the energy f(r)acture As anger rumbles on both sides of the door of the CPASs in the Fédération Wallonie Bruxelles, Investigation set up its cameras at the Centre Public d'Action Sociale in Charleroi. Its mission: to enable everyone to lead a life of human dignity. But what exactly do these words mean in a society in crisis? How does Wallonia's largest CPAS stay on course in the face of a growing flow of routine requests, now joined by those unknown to the social services? These so-called middle-class workers who - for the first time - call for help to pay a bill or fill a tank. Faced with them are overworked social workers anxiously wondering when their turn will come. For two weeks, amidst hundreds of cases handled each day, of numbers and implementation of complex aid mechanisms, we encountered suffering but also empathy and humanity. In the background, one motto: face it! Together. But for how much longer?

Gas prices: a vicious circle 10 times, then 15 times more expensive... In recent months, gas prices have skyrocketed. An individual's annual bill has risen from a few hundred to several thousand euros. A real earthquake for household budgets. Investigation will show you that these staggering prices have repercussions where you least expect them: in restaurants, supermarkets and even hospitals. The price of gas is clearly a threat to their survival... How did we get here? Who is responsible? And above all, who is benefiting from this unprecedented crisis? The investigation will attempt to answer these questions. A dive into this gas crisis that doesn't seem ready to stop...

Budget overruns and a regime of fear. The clerk of the Parliament of Wallonia is under pressure. At the heart of the storm: Frédéric Janssens, the clerk of the institution, now sidelined. The clerk is the head of the Parliament's administration and as such manages, among other things, the construction site of the future House of Parliamentarians, whose bills skyrocketed along the way. But the clerk is also implicated in his management of personnel, characterised by threats and constant pressure. #Investigation has gathered damning documents and sometimes chilling testimonies that reinforce suspicions of (very) poor management of the Parliament's affairs. "The D'Onofrio System," an investigation by Thomas Bricmont, David Leloup, Nicolas Taiana, and Arthur Gillet.

Who is Lucien D'Onofrio, a football agent, and former boss of Standard?

Son of a miner, modest football player, Lucien D'Onofrio climbed the ranks of the football world with some talent but also by collecting several scandals: attempted corruption, secret commissions, offshore structures, and straw men... Sentenced several times in France, the former boss of Standard de Liège, now 67 years old, does not only exert his influence in football. He also operates in the business world, sometimes acting as a banker or matchmaker, mostly in the shadows. #Investigation has obtained confidential documents revealing his true activities and reporting suspicions of money laundering.

In Belgium, 1,100,000 doses of sedatives and anxiolytics are sold every day in pharmacies. Xanax, Lormetazepam, Temesta, Stilnoct, and Zolpidem... these medications are prescribed for anxiety or sleep disorders, but they can also lead to severe dependence. Women, men, young and old, the whole society is affected. The magazine #Investigation investigated to understand why, despite campaigns and warnings, too many Belgians continue to consume these drugs in such high quantities and for too long.

Approximately 20,000 Belgians fall victim to medical errors each year. These errors can have serious consequences. Some patients have become disabled or gravely ill after a surgical procedure or hospital stay. #Investigation met several victims and followed their often desperate journey to obtain recognition and compensation. It's a real battle despite the creation in 2010 of a medical accident fund intended to provide them with answers. A fund which, as we shall see, has so far failed to live up to its promises.