A family is distraught that a mother’s headstone has been repeatedly damaged at the Rakaia Cemetery.
By Jonathan Leask, Local Democracy Reporter
The headstone has been vandalised on five separate occasions, including one incident where the family captured video evidence of it happening, but police say it wasn’t enough to progress a prosecution.
"They just don’t know what to do next, and it keeps happening," said an associate of the family, who LDR reporting agreed not to name and identify because the incident was a result of an ongoing family dispute, and they feared retribution.
"We feel like it’s being ignored."
They said that since the headstone - paid for by the dead woman’s father - was erected at a one-year memorial service in April "it’s been repeatedly desecrated, and we know by who".
"The day it was laid, it was solid. There was nothing wrong with it.
"Then we started to notice it had loosened."
The family had it inspected and fixed by the stonemasons, and after the finding it damaged for a second time, they contacted the local Rakaia police as they believed they knew who was interfering with the headstone.
It was then repaired but damaged again soon after, they said.
Following a third incident, the family had the headstone completely removed to be repaired and strengthened by stonemasons, who then reinstalled it.
The headstone has been vandalised on five separate occasions at Rakaia Cemetery this year. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) (Source: Supplied)
A family member deployed a camera in the cemetery aimed at the headstone when it was put back in place on July 23.
Just hours later, the camera captured the alleged offender appearing to deliberately damage it.
The video shows a man deliberately kneeling on the back of the headstone, pressing down with his knees to make the headstone bend forward before standing it back up and walking off.
He then returns moments later and repeats the actions.
The family took the camera footage to police only to be told "there was not enough evidence to prosecute or do anything".
A police spokesperson confirmed that on September 22, they received a report alleging that "a hidden CCTV camera had been placed in the Rakaia Cemetery, and that it allegedly captured someone moving/damaging a headstone".
"Police have made enquiries, including viewing the footage, and speaking to both sides of the family involved.
"After this, police determined there was insufficient evidence that any criminal offending had taken place.
"There needs to be sufficient evidence of property damage, as per the Solicitor General’s prosecution guidelines, in order to progress a prosecution, and this was not met in this case."
The potential charge for damaging a headstone, if proven, would likely be wilful damage.
Police have previously stated on similar incidents of thefts of items at the Ashburton Cemetery "that any personal property left at a grave or any cemetery in the Ashburton District and taken by someone else who does not own it amounts to theft".
The Rakaia Cemetery is managed by the Ashburton District Council, but senior manager Toni Durham said "monumental works, like headstones, are private assets for families to manage".
"Council does not accept responsibility for damage or vandalism to private assets.
"Council staff have been in contact with Police and parties involved, and it is a civil matter."
The frustrated family spokesperson said the headstone had been targeted twice more since notifying the police, first when the inset picture of the woman was damaged in October, and then when it was completely removed in November.
"We are just at a loss as to what to do now," the family associate said.
"Do we have to keep enduring this?"
Local Democracy Reporting is local-body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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