LECCE – The grandmother bids farewell to life and the desperate grandson forces the door of the mortuary to see her. It happened on Friday night and the alarm was raised by the mortician on duty who found the door broken down in the morning.
The video camera recordings were immediately viewed to identify the perpetrator or perpetrators of the gesture after establishing that no other damage had been caused to the structure.
The immediate hypothesis was that of an act of vandalism, or of a raid by thieves intent on stealing any valuable objects from the bodies, but no particular investigations were needed to give a name and surname to the author of the gesture, which created dismay. among the staff, as it is carried out in a place that should arouse a sense of sacredness and respect.
About three hours after the damage to the mortuary door was discovered, a man who identified himself as the nephew of a deceased woman who was kept in the mortuary awaiting the funeral showed up. He apologized for the gesture, but asked for understanding for the profound discouragement that pushed him to take such an action. He undertook to repay the damages and this closed the matter which otherwise could have had other consequences given the damage to a public good.
Forced entry into the mortuary is – fortunately – not a frequent thing. These are episodes to look for with a lantern and vandalism of this type usually takes place in cemeteries. The latest episode, in chronological order, occurred last October in the monumental cemetery of Lecce where theft and damage to gravestones occurred.
A macabre episode happened about three years ago in Rovereto where the door of the cemetery mortuary was forced open and the coffin of a body kept inside was damaged. In that case the investigative hypothesis was aimed at an act of vandalism to recover valuable objects. What is certain is that at least the deceased should be left in peace.
