Kids' graves targeted by thieves

Cemetery Grave Stone. Photo / Thinkstock

Two grieving Dunedin mothers are heartbroken after "scumbags" targeted mementoes on their children's graves.

A Dunedin woman, who wished to only be known as Tracey, said during the past 18 months her daughter's Dunedin Cemetery grave was targeted at least 10 times where flowers, pots and mementoes were stolen.

"It's so upsetting - it's disgusting," she said. "You put it up there to make yourself and anyone else who goes to visit a little bit happier about being there, so it's really sad."

Aileen Ramsay, whose daughter died aged two days old in 2011, said photographs on the headstone, which was shared with her father, had been smashed and a row of angels was stolen from the grave.

As a result, she had stopped placing mementoes on the grave.

The photograph was vandalised close to Christmas Day. "It's only been about eight months and we've had something done to it twice."

Tracey's daughter died suddenly in September 2013 shortly before her third birthday. Since then she "had about five different solar lights stolen, two pots, her little crystals, little butterfly-shaped things and bunches of flowers".

The most recent theft occurred about three weeks ago and two pots were taken shortly before Christmas last year, she said.

A headstone would be installed in coming months and Tracey was anxious about it.

"It's a wee bit different, so I'm a wee bit worried it's going to be vandalised."

She was unsure if it was thieves preying on an easy target, vandals or children who did not know any better, but the effect was the same regardless.

"They are scumbags," she said.

She had contacted Dunedin City Council about the issue and police were investigating.