Vandalism in cemetery: Gräber in Rheydt destroyed and robbed!

Vandalism in cemetery: Gräber in Rheydt destroyed and robbed!

Damaged at the Rheydt cemetery on Preyerstraße 20 graves in the night of Wednesday. Unknown perpetrators stolen grave lanterns, bronze figures and letters of tombstones. The police suspect that the criminals are targeting metal that has a high value. A decorated grave lamp is traded on the Internet with at least 200 euros. It remains unclear whether the perpetrators have provided the stolen goods for sale or melting. These actions are part of a worrying trend that reflects the dwindling respect for general property and foreign property, as Juramagazin

Vandalism in cemeteries has increased in recent years. Similar incidents can not only be observed in Mönchengladbach, but also in all of North Rhine-Westphalia. At the end of January there was a comparable incident in the Rheindahlen district, in which plants were trampled and bronze inscriptions and lanterns were removed. There, too, the perpetrators had torn concrete base out of the ground. Investigators currently evaluate numerous traces; Some stolen objects reappeared in the area around the cemetery and have a value of several thousand euros.

vandalism in cemeteries

vandalism in cemeteries, including the damage of graves and the expulsion of floral decorations, encounters outraged reactions among the population. These actions are perceived as a moral fracture of taboo. The current criminal protection for damaged graves is considered inadequate, since the damage to graves only falls below § 304 (damage to property). This does not provide for a minimum penalty, which many consider inadequate. In the case of metal theft, which primarily affects grave crosses, light, figures of saints and vases, the crime is also only classified as a simple theft according to § 242 StGB.

The discussion about the necessary legal changes has gained driving. The state parliament calls on the state government to work on a prison sentence of three months to five years for tightening the threat of punishment of § 304. It is also proposed to include the theft of objects of graves as a rule example for particularly severe theft in § 243 StGB. WDR reports that the police in Mönchengladbach work closely with the environmental operation.

From February 10th to February 13th, potential owners of found objects can view them at the administration building of the Rheindhof cemetery between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and get back against proof. Vandalism in cemeteries, as well as in other areas of society, is increasingly perceived as a serious social problem that not only raises legal but also moral aspects. Cemeteries are sensitive places, and the associated acts not only take material but also emotional damage.