Investigation into former Tipene Funerals employee Fiona Bakulich includes 10 bodies disinterred from Waikumete Cemetery

The Herald’s earlier coverage of Fiona Bakulich’s offending stated “several” bodies were placed in bags instead of the coffins that had been paid for. The coverage has been amended to clarify that the Herald spoke to two families who claimed Bakulich placed their loved ones in bags within unlined coffins.

The Herald acknowledges Bakulich was only sentenced in relation to one charge of interfering with human remains in relation to one body. Amendments have also been made to clarify that Bakulich’s other offending related to fraudulent behaviour in connection with burials.

Police have revealed the scale of their investigation into former Tipene Funerals undertaker Fiona Bakulich, telling the Herald there are 10 bodies involved.

Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin, of the Auckland City Criminal Investigation Branch, says police have received nine complaints about alleged misconduct in respect of burials.

Bakulich, who featured in Tipene Funerals’ reality television show The Casketeers, had her first appearance in court last month and is set to appear in the Auckland District Court again on November 15.

Baldwin said police arrested a 48-year-old woman in Favona, South Auckland on October 22. Bakulich appeared in the Auckland District Court on October 25 on one charge of misconduct in respect of human remains and nine of obtaining by deception.

Baldwin said police could not rule out laying further charges and encouraged anyone “with ongoing concerns” to contact them online or by phoning 105 and quoting file number 240808/8008.

Fiona Bakulich, a former Tipene Funerals undertaker based in Auckland, appears in the Auckland District Court on October 25. Photo / Michael Craig

Police began investigating fraud allegations against Bakulich after Tipene Funerals laid complaints in March and April this year. It remains unclear what complaints Tipene Funerals made against Bakulich, but police shelved that investigation as there was insufficient evidence.

Police then began investigating new concerns about bodies at Waikumete Cemetery in August this year, following an exclusive investigation by the Herald in which several families anonymously spoke of what they were confronted with when they were present for the disinterments.

Families told the Herald they had solicited Bakulich’s services specifically because she was Samoan and they expected to be treated with the utmost cultural competency.

Families told the Herald they believed they had been swindled out of money by the undertaker.

Tipene Funerals director Francis Tipene has said the company encouraged anyone with concerns about Bakulich’s conduct to report it to police.

Fiona Bakulich (left) with Francis and Kaiora Tipene in a promotional image for the television show The Casketeers.

“Tipene Funerals has handed all information known to us to the police.”

He said his “former employee” worked for Tipene Funerals as a funeral director for seven years.

“And in doing so, a huge amount of trust was placed in her, both by Tipene Funerals, myself as director and the families she was taking care of,” Tipene said.

Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.

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