A Jewish headstone in a Wanganui cemetery has been attacked in one of the worst cases of grave desecration the city has seen, a council officer believes.
The headstone in the Jewish section of the Heads Rd cemetery had a swastika painted on it and looked as if it had been attacked with a sledgehammer, Wanganui District Council recreation and culture manager Keith Hindson said.
"It was a substantial attack and even though it is a reinforced concrete structure, they've still managed to crack the monument and take several large chunks from it," Mr Hindson said.
While other headstones had been damaged in the past, this was the first incident at the Jewish section.
"It's the worst attack I've seen," he said.
The council replaced several headstones with one monument several years ago, and council officers checked on it after several Jewish graves were desecrated in Wellington last month.
"After the problem in Wellington, we did a routine check on the monument, as other councils were doing, and we saw what had happened."
The monument will be repaired and Mr Hindson said it was likely more regular checks will be put in place.
"We like to play it low-key."
The President of New Zealand Jewish Council, David Zwartz, of Wellington, said he had heard of the Wanganui incident and was saddened by it.
"We'll have a re-dedication service, once it's repaired, which will hopefully involve some of the descendants of the people whose names are on the headstone," he said.
Members of the local Jewish community were unable to be contacted by the Wanganui Chronicle yesterday.
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