Grave desecration: There are always incidents at the community cemetery in Poing. The police advise filing a complaint. Poinger couple: "It tears our hearts."
Poing - The past Saturday, May 30th. Brigitte and Thomas Freiner go to the grave of their daughters at the community cemetery in Poing. They come here almost every day. This time the couple is horrified: a complete grave arrangement of the daughter has been stolen. Yet again. Five times within two years, the grave was defaced by strangers and decorations were stolen. "It tears my heart," says Freiner.
The death of relatives accompanies the family: in 1993 the first daughter died at birth, then Thomas Freiner's mother, and in January 2019 his brother. A few months later, the second daughter suddenly succumbed to cancer. She was 30. Both daughters are in the same grave at the community cemetery in Poing.
In November 2017, unknowns destroyed the grave for the first time
In November 2017, unknown people destroyed a candlestick and a vase for the first time. There have been several thefts in recent years: decoration, bouquets, ceramic roses. And now a flower arrangement and a ceramic angel are missing. So far, Freiner has not filed criminal charges with the police, and the Poingen police have told him that there is no prospect of success in finding the perpetrator. Grave jewelry worth 300 euros has since been destroyed or stolen. It's not about money, says Freiner.
"The cemetery is a place where we can relax," says the desperate man. The grave is a retention point, they come there to get "some hope and strength". His wife lovingly cares for it. "This is the last thing we can do for them."
Desecration in Poing: Similar incidents known
Under a Facebook post from Freiner, several users comment on having had similar experiences in Poing. They report torn out plants and stolen shells. The cemetery administration in Poing could not be reached yesterday for a discussion.
No criminal charges have been made to the police in Poing for such incidents. Police chief Helmut Hintereder remembers a series of desecrations of the grave around five years ago. Back then, it was “probably” young people who went home through the cemetery after an event in the youth center. He couldn't say that for sure, the grave molesters were never caught.
Police chief: "We rely on the perceptions of the citizens"
Police officers can do little against vandalism and theft in cemeteries, says Hintereder. If there were more incidents at a cemetery, you could let it “patrol”. The police officer does not consider surveillance cameras to make sense. "We rely on the perceptions of the citizens," he says. He advises affected grave owners to file a complaint.
Smashed showcases, stolen grave jewelry and attempted theft of bronze figures: the community of Vaterstetten also has problems. "Every two or three months" there is an incident, says an employee of the cemetery administration on request.
"There is a grieving family behind every grave or obituary"
The fact that the graves of Freiner's daughters are not the only ones that have been robbed and destroyed means a lot to the couple. "So there is nothing personal against us or our deceased daughter," says the man. Thomas Freiner wants to remind one thing: "There is a grieving family behind every grave or obituary."