Police in Antwerp have started an investigation after video footage was published on YouTube featuring two German men climbing up Antwerp Cathedral. The two daredevils climbed right to the top of the Cathedral of Our Lady. They are shown performing acrobatic stunts around the weather vane at the too of the cathedral’s spire. The news first appeared in newspapers published by Mediahuis and has since been confirmed by the Antwerp Local Police Service.
Antwerp police launch investigation after German daredevils climb the city’s cathedral
Published:
The cathedral has a number of important works of art and the building is equipped with a burglar alarm on its ground floor. However, the alarm didn’t go off when the two German’s scaled the building.
"We don't know exactly how or where they got in, but it definitely wasn't via the ground floor," Father Bart Paepen says. "They must have entered higher up. The works of art were never in any danger."
A global trend
Climbing tall and famous buildings illegally is a global trend that has spread to Western Europe from the US and Russia. The video footage of daredevils scaling high buildings often gets very many views on social media.
Father Paepen has little sympathy for those that engage in this dangerous practice."We are now living in a society that is more interested in ‘likes’ than in meaning. I find that very sad."
"This is not responsible behaviour, and I hope no one is inspired by its success on social media to try something similar. One day something will go seriously wrong."