"I shadowed my ex-boyfriend when we broke up to prove he was lying about his whereabouts. Then I became a private detective because the profession suited me," Sophie Vanslambrouck says. Meanwhile, she runs her own detective agency with four offices across the country. Sophie tells Bij Debecker all about her special profession.

Who calls on such a private investigator? " This ranges from individuals to companies, different questions each time. Theft investigations, employee absenteeism, unfair competition, breach of contract, ... It is very extensive what questions we get," Sophie says.

"Private individuals also come to us. Adultery has not been a criminal offence since 2007, but it still happens that we have to shadow someone for it, and that is mainly for obtaining maintenance money."

Above doctor?

If a GP finds a patient incapacitated, but a private investigator goes after that patient at the employer's request: can a private investigator go above and beyond the findings of a GP, because surely they are not medically trained and cannot simply assess a medical finding? That was the question raised by a GP.

"We are not allowed to investigate someone's health condition, but if someone is on sick leave and there is a suspicion of undeclared work during that sick leave, we are allowed to launch an investigation," clarified private detective Sophie Vanslambrouck.