Vandals wreak havoc at graves, memorial plaques

Lorraine Slawinski has slammed “disgusting” separate incidents of vandalism at Narrogin Cemetery which left her 10-year-old grandson devastated.

Visiting the cemetery both sides of the Easter long weekend, Ms Slawinski said items were intentionally removed from her mother’s plaque while headstones were kicked in and drug paraphernalia left in an undercover area on the north side of the Williams Road cemetery.

On Tuesday April 16, Ms Slawinski was shocked to find trinkets and a heartfelt letter penned by her grandson to her mother had been removed from around her memorial plaque.

“The things that meant something are gone, including the letter my grandson did and stuck in the top,” she said.

“He was so close to her and wrote this beautiful letter, cut it into the shape of a love heart, laminated it all — it was beautiful ... he was so upset when he found out it was gone.

“I understand if the wind blows a few flowers around, but what we did with mum’s (plaque) was had things hooked on and the letter was stuck up in the corner. It’s not like the wind could have blown them away.”

Visiting the cemetery again after the Easter long weekend, Ms Slawinski found further destruction to graves and facilities.

“Since walking the whole cemetery, there’s been headstones knocked off, crosses that snapped in half — it’s unbelievable. It’s disgusting,” she said. “People are paying thousands of dollars for these headstones ... and people are just going around and destroying loved one’s things. It’s not right.”

Ms Slawinski took to social media to show the damage done to the cemetery to the Narrogin community, including needles left out in the open and a toilet door kicked in.

“It’s sad as we have visitors come to town and what they must think ... I have a loved one up there and have had things taken off his grave and sadly I think why can they stoop so low,” one user commented.

“Name and shame! Even the departed are not safe,” another wrote.