Vandals raid graves

By Sarah Schwager
FAMILIES with loved ones buried at Cranbourne Cemetery have been devastated to find several graves have been defiled over the last week.
Babies’ graves were among those damaged and police said the parents were deeply disturbed at the incidents, which occurred over three days on Wednesday last week, Friday and on Sunday at the Sladen Street Cemetery.
Vandals have smashed pictures on the headstones, removed steel grating and destroyed ornaments, vases and statues standing atop the graves.
Cranbourne Cemetery manager Ron White said cemetery workers and trustees were absolutely devastated.
He described it as wanton desecration and damage.
“There is no respect for the person,” Mr White said. “Every section of the cemetery has been degraded in some way. More importantly they are causing an immense amount of grief to the people who are visiting the graves.”
He said the damage bill was already looking at between $7000 and $9000.
“It has reached the stage when I look at the things that aren’t damaged and have a small prayer that next time I turn up they won’t be damaged.”
Detective Senior Constable Peter Carroll from Cranbourne CIU said police believed local children were responsible for the damage.
At about 10am on Sunday, three kids aged about 12 were seen running from the cemetery immediately after further damage to graves had been made.
“This has been extremely upsetting to the relatives,” Det Sen Const Carroll said.
“We are appealing for witnesses due to the heinous nature of these crimes.”
Mr White said one lady had shooed off some kids who she had noticed hiding from her among the graves but she had not had a mobile phone on her to call the police.
Other damage includes a tap being turned on and the water left running, the heads ripped off rose bushes and what appeared to be a flower fight in the lawn section of the cemetery.
“You can almost seen where they’ve gone. There’s a trail of broken flowers, ornaments and trinkets,” Mr White said.
“Everything they were able to smash or break they did. I can’t understand what mindset they had to do this not once but three times.
“They must be bored out of their tiny minds if that’s all they can find to do.
“All we can do is appeal to the conscience of the people who know these vandals – schoolmates, family. Because it is obvious that they don’t have any conscience.”
Anyone with information is urged to contact Det Sen Const Carroll or Senior Constable Kelly Carvill at Cranbourne Police on 5991 0600.