Grave jewelry thieves do their mischief: families complain about losses!

Grave jewelry thieves do their mischief: families complain about losses!

Again and again there is a sad phenomenon in the Werra-Meißner district: thefts of grave jewelry. Affected families, such as the Neumann family from Niederhone, have been suffering from repeated losses from their double urn grave since 2019. Flower arrangements, small figures and bouquets disappear particularly often. These acts not only throw shadows on the grief of the bereaved, but also affect the cemetery administration, which often does not have the necessary resources to combat vandalism actions. According to confirmation of the Eschwege cemetery administration, many thefts have not even been reported in the past, which increases the number of unreported cases.

The pastor Imme May also reports of other problems in the cemeteries, which include unhanged dogs and general vandalism. Although Wanfried's Mayor Wilhelm Gebhard and the Berkatal administration have now given the all -clear and no current thefts have been reported, the general situation remains tense. Police spokesman Jörg Künstler also reported that no thefts have so far been reported in cemeteries this year. An incident that heated the minds in February 2023 was the theft of a metal ice bird from Bad Sooden-Allendorf.

vandalism and its consequences

However, the problem is not limited to the region. According to an article from undertaker weblog, thefts of bronze and metal objects as well as grave decorations often occur in cemeteries. These stolen objects often find their way into the trash or are sold. Cemetery administrators are overwhelmed with their regular tasks, which makes increased monitoring of the systems difficult.

visitors are advised to do without valuable grave decorations and to secure the decoration thoroughly. Some recommendations include, better digging plants instead of just dilating them to make thefts more difficult. In addition, the police advise you to carry no larger amounts of money or valuables during the visit and to choose times when many other visitors are present. Unusual events should be reported to the cemetery administrator.

social dimensions of the problem

The problem of vandalism and the thefts in cemeteries reflects a deeper social concern. According to an article in the Juramagazine, dwindling respect for common good and foreign property has been complained to in public for years. This not only expresses itself in the destruction of parks and stops, but also in increasing reports on vandalism in cemeteries. Damage to graves and starking of floral decorations are not only morally reprehensible, but also lead to a feeling of uncertainty and grief among the bereaved.

In a call to the state government, it is required to strengthen criminal protection for these delicate spaces. Suggestions for the introduction of a minimum prison for community -damaging property damage and the classification of the theft of tombings as a particularly severe case of theft are the focus of the discussions. This might help to reduce the extent of the release of grave decorations and the disrespectful behavior in the cemeteries.