Thefts in Belgian cemeteries: Romanian couple arrested, municipalities without resources
As All Saints' Day approaches, thefts of funeral objects are multiplying in Belgium. A couple was arrested in the German-speaking Community, with stolen goods valued at several thousand euros.
Cemeteries ransacked before All Saints' Day: flowers, bronzes and statuettes in thieves' sights
A couple of Romanian nationals, aged 35 and 40, were arrested on Monday for thefts of funeral objects committed in the German-speaking Community, DHnet reports. Investigators had targeted two cemeteries where vases, lanterns and sculptures had been stolen repeatedly over a six-month period. The total loss amounts to several thousand euros.
Comparable incidents were reported this year in other Walloon municipalities: Fernelmont, Fleurus, Wavre and Sambreville are all affected. Xavier Deflorenne, cemetery liaison officer for the Walloon Region, notes an evolution in thieves' practices. "Previously, we mostly saw thefts of antiques, such as statues, plant pots or metal balustrades, intended for resale. Nowadays, thieves break down old metals to melt them down quickly and recycle them into noble materials," he explains.
These recovered materials are then sold to foundries or scrap metal dealers, often based in municipalities close to the French border. Deflorenne points to a regulatory asymmetry that complicates investigations: "The legislation on traceability is not the same in France as it is in Belgium. There, it is not necessary to present identification, which makes identification very complicated." According to him, the preferred targets remain "crucifixes, lettering, plaques and statuettes — anything made of brass or bronze".
Flowers stolen, families shocked
Bouquets placed on graves are not spared either, particularly as All Saints' Day approaches. Thomas Degueldre, coordinator of cemetery management in Namur, describes a reality that goes beyond simple theft: "Some people treat cemeteries like free plant nurseries. I have had families come to me because flowers placed on a tomb end up two rows further along. The deliberate movement of flowers from one grave to another is unfortunately a reality, more frequent than outright theft."
GPS trackers tested in France, not yet in Belgium
In France, where thefts of flowers and metal objects are also on the rise, some municipalities are using GPS trackers concealed in statuettes or bouquets to identify perpetrators. In Normandy, a couple frustrated by repeated thefts in a cemetery hid a GPS device in a pot of hydrangeas. The object was stolen by another couple, whom the owners were able to locate using the tracker. The perpetrators received a warning.
Deflorenne considers the measure relevant, but remains sceptical about its deployment in Belgium. "It would require resorting to technology to install trackers, but that would require an investment that municipalities do not want to make. And even if it allowed us to trace the thieves, the police would tell us that we won't find the objects anyway, already melted down or resold. It is therefore necessary that cemetery managers be able to more quickly identify any stolen item and not two weeks later."
Namur raises awareness among families
In Namur, Degueldre distributed a flyer to residents to prevent thefts during the All Saints' Day period. He recommends that families photograph valuable items present on graves to make identification easier in case of disappearance, and to report any suspicious behaviour. He also advises marking bronze and copper objects, "knowing that regular checks are carried out to verify compliance with identification and registration rules when selling scrap metal to dealers".
Historical statues torn down in Wandre and Lodelinsart
Beyond the recent arrests in the German-speaking Community, several cemeteries have suffered significant losses in recent months. In Wandre, in September, a historical bronze statue installed at more than five metres in height since 1925 was torn from the Rabosée cemetery. A month earlier, in Lodelinsart, another 1.5-metre bronze statue had also gone missing — the perpetrators having had to make two attempts to detach and remove it.
Source: DHnet