The Limburg public prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into the Belgian Children’s Cancer Support Fund (BKKS), a non-profit that raises funds for families with a child diagnosed with cancer. Volunteers, parents and other charities have long had concerns. Founder Patrick Hubeau acknowledges that there are issues against him, but denies allegations of self-enrichment.
Through the BKKS, a Disney princess visits sick children, hands out toys and takes them to amusement parks. Donation boxes sit at the tills of bakeries, chip shops and cafés, supplemented by a call centre. The non-profit also offers practical help: for example, it pays the copayment for families who cannot afford treatment.
Yet it has faced fierce criticism for years. It is accused of lacking transparency, and witnesses fear that money raised doesn’t always end up where it is intended. VRT NWS spoke with several former employees, volunteers and parents.
The confusion over the name has been driving us to despair for years
At the Belgian Cops Contest, in which police officers, firefighters and soldiers compete for the title of “fittest cop”, the proceeds have gone to the Belgian Children’s Cancer Support Fund in recent years. Anyone reading about the event could easily be led to believe that the money goes to another large and renowned charity: the Children’s Cancer Fund. But that is not the case.
“The confusion over the name has been driving us to despair for years,” says Dierik Van den Meerssche, director of the Children’s Cancer Fund. “Because we have the impression that this charity is deliberately seeking to cause confusion, we filed a complaint with the police about it years ago. Every month we receive complaints about the conduct of that other charity, from people who assume it is us.”
VRT spoke to Livia Raskin, whose son Kenric was barely two years old when he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, an extremely rare form of cancer. The family pulled out all the stops and sought life-saving treatment abroad. The cancer proved too aggressive and Kenric passed away in February 2019, aged just five, surrounded by his family.
During the final intensive treatment in Switzerland, Kenric’s mother received alarming phone calls from her neighbours, telling her that people had been coming to the door to collect money for her son. This was surprising, as the family had never asked the BKKS for help. When she asked for an explanation, the non-profit denied the campaign.
Grandmother Annie voiced her concerns in a comment on a 2021 Facebook post by the BKKS: “People are donating to this charity. We wonder: is that money actually going to the right place?”
That’s when I asked my mother to stop the fight. I was too afraid she would get into trouble
A few days later, a letter from a lawyer landed in her mailbox. She was accused of defamation and libel and given 48 hours to remove her post or face a fine.
Fearing costly legal proceedings, Annie gave in, but she continued to approach merchants in her own neighbourhood and warn them. A second letter followed. “That’s when I asked my mother to stop the fight,” says Raskin. “I was too afraid she would get into trouble.”
Kathleen* shares similar painful experiences. When her daughter Yara* relapsed in early 2020, the BKKS offered to cover an invoice for a children’s wheelchair. “That seemed like a very nice gesture to us at the time,” Kathleen recalls.
The funds took seven months to arrive, causing additional stress during an incredibly difficult time. Her daughter was 10. It wasn’t until after her death, in December 2020, that the majority of the amount was transferred.
When Kathleen raised the issue, she says she received no apology, only criticism. “I was told I lacked patience and needed to be more understanding,” she says. “It was very harsh and curt.”
Founder Hubeau acknowledges that payments have been problematic. “I’ll readily admit that: it was difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic,” he says. According to him, that problem is now resolved: “Now those instalments arrive on time every month.”
In addition, for years the BKKS was lax about its legal obligations around transparency. Every non-profit must submit annual financial statements to the court or risk dissolution. Data we requested from the court showed that the latest official figures date back to 2015.
Initially, Hubeau claimed his accounting was “very transparent” and that statements up to 2022 had been filed. He later retracted that claim and blamed his accountant. Only after VRT asked him for an explanation did he get the paperwork in order for several years. The most recent statements are still missing.
The organisation retains its recognition from the Finance ministry to issue tax-deductible receipts to donors. Tax authorities only check whether an organisation pursues profit as an end in itself. The publication of annual financial statements plays no role.
I haven’t gotten a single cent richer from this non-profit; on the contrary
Hubeau is also subject to a director’s ban, imposed because he was involved in 11 bankruptcies, including some that may have been fraudulent. In two cases, the company was transferred to a director residing in Bulgaria shortly before bankruptcy. At least four of Hubeau’s companies had their registered office at the same address as the BKKS.
In addition, court records show that Hubeau owes the Finance ministry €152,000 in unpaid taxes. The Antwerp Court of First Instance ruled against him in that case in November 2023. The same year, it granted the BKKS recognition for tax-deductible donations.
Hubeau stepped down as chair in 2024. He says this was a precautionary measure after the police reminded him of his ban on holding a directorship. However, he remains in de facto control.
“Unpaid,” he says. According to him, more than 90% of the proceeds goes to the families. “I haven’t gotten a single cent richer from this non-profit; on the contrary.” He attributes the bankruptcies to his gullibility.
The criminal investigation by the Limburg public prosecutor’s office is not directed against Hubeau personally but against the non-profit itself. According to our information, the case is being handled by the Ecofin unit, a department specialising in financial and economic crimes. It is unclear how long the investigation will take and whether it will lead to prosecution. In the meantime, the non-profit’s collection boxes remain at checkout counters.