Voting under way for new pope, high demand for New Zealand red meat and the labour market remains in sorry state.
A Lower Hutt family is distraught after discovering a loved one’s memorial plaque was stolen.
Diana Wright said the plaque was taken from Taitā Cemetery, with council having no records it was removed.
Police and council investigations have no leads and the family are calling on the thief to return it.
A Lower Hutt woman says her family is “distraught” after discovering a loved one’s memorial plaque has been stolen more than two decades on from his death.
The family members are still dealing with the grief of losing their mother in January and had been planning to inter her with her late husband, only to discover his plaque had recently been taken.
“We’re just absolutely gobsmacked,” Diana Wright told the Herald. “What the hell?”
Wright said her mother, 80, died a few months ago just 20 days after being diagnosed with pancreatic and liver cancer. She had not realised she was sick.
The family have been working through legal matters and were finally in the right “headspace” to begin preparing to inter their mother with her late husband, Roy.
A Lower Hutt family are distraught after their stepfather's memorial plaque was stolen from Taitā Cemetery 24 years after his death.
“Roy’s been gone for 24 years and waiting for mum. There’s space at the bottom of his stone [for mum’s details].”
Wright’s sister went to Taitā Cemetery to get a photo of Roy’s plaque, but was bewildered to find it gone.
The family’s queries with cemetery staff and Hutt City Council revealed there were no records of it being removed.
The stone appears to have been recently chiseled or broken away, with fresh chunks of cement left in its place. Wright had last seen the plaque in its rightful place just before Christmas.
Edwina and Roy Pottinger in 1996, several years before Roy's death. His memorial plaque was stolen from Taitā Cemetery recently, 24 years after he died.
The family contacted police for help, but there was nothing they could do.
“We’re just so distraught as a family,” Wright said.
“I’m just in such a poor me state at the moment. It’s been hard enough to lose our mother who we didn’t even know was sick.”
Wright said they would wait about a week to see if the gravestone thief returns the precious plaque, otherwise they will have to get a new one made so they can proceed with plans to bring family from overseas for the interment.
An old photo of the plaque, which had been in place for more than two decades.
“I need to speak out about this because mum deserves better. Roy deserves better. So disrespectful.”
Wright wanted to make the public aware “that actually the most sacred places aren’t safe either”.
A police spokeswoman confirmed they received a report this week about a grave plaque that had been “removed or taken from Taitā Cemetery sometime in the weeks prior”.
“The report has been assessed, and unfortunately, there are currently no further lines of inquiry.”
A council spokesman said they were contacted by a member of the public asking if they were aware of a missing plaque.
“Initial investigations, including contacting all Lower Hutt stone masons and our sexton contractors, didn’t shed any light on the matter. We advised the person about this,” the spokesman said.
The plaque appears to have been chiseled or broken away recently.
“While we don’t have CCTV footage at the cemetery, we have asked ground staff to be extra vigilant around any unusual activity they may observe.
“Headstones are the responsibility of families to maintain and manage and family can report these sorts of matters to police.
“If a formal complaint was made to police about the missing headstone, council would be happy to assist with their enquiries.”
Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years.
