Veles: grave markers vandalised at St. Spas churchyard

More than a dozen grave markers were found broken, torn from their bases or otherwise damaged in the churchyard of St. Spas in Veles, relatives and local vendors said after inspecting the site on the morning they discovered the destruction.

The affected memorials are located inside the church grounds at the area known locally as the Vlashki cemetery. They were not laid out in a single line or cluster when found, but scattered in different spots across the yard, witnesses said.

Flower sellers who work at the cemetery every day told reporters the vandalism may have taken place on October 23. Relatives who inspected the graves expressed outrage at the sight.

Community reaction and past problems

“I came to check the condition of the monuments for my parents and relatives. I learned they were broken. What did I see – our family monument was broken too. Who is bothered by these memorial markers? They do not even let the dead rest in peace, although they were buried long ago. I expect the perpetrators to be found. This has nothing to do with reason. This is vandalism,” said a Veles resident whose family memorial was damaged.

Local people said it is hard to establish an exact count, but that the damage clearly affects more than a dozen grave markers. Some witnesses recalled that animals kept by neighbors have been found wandering inside the churchyard in the recent past.

The church has installed video surveillance because of repeated thefts. Staff reported recent thefts of a metal door and plastic waste bins; church footage existed for those incidents but, according to locals, the police did not act on it. A former cemetery guard who visited the site today recalled that around thirty years ago people were arrested for digging up graves to take jewellery from the deceased and were later convicted.

Regional police said they have so far received two reports about damaged monuments at the St. Spas churchyard, filed yesterday. "Police officers have taken measures and undertaken activities to establish the causes and circumstances under which the damage occurred, and an official interview was conducted with employees of the municipal public utility 'Derven'. SVR Veles is undertaking further official actions and checks to determine the causes of the damage and to find the perpetrators," said Ana Milevska-Gjorgieva, spokesperson for SVR Veles.

Under Article 400, paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code, damaging or desecrating graves or other burial places is a criminal offence punishable by a fine or up to three years in prison.

Photo: SDK.MK)