Devastated mum sends boys 10, 11, to work in Berri Cemetery to pay for grave vandalism

TWO boys who desecrated graves at a Riverland cemetery broke down in tears when they realised the anguish they caused, after their mother forced them to face up to their actions.

Vandals have targeted the Berri Cemetery, damaging memorials at more than 40 graves, including those of six children. Picture: GoFundMe

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TWO boys who desecrated graves at a Riverland cemetery broke down in tears when they realised the anguish they caused, after their mother forced them to face up to the consequences of their actions.

The boys - aged 10 and 11, and another boy aged nine - last week broke trinkets and ornaments on about 40 graves at the Berri cemetery - sparking outrage in the community .

Berri Barmera Council works co-ordinator Dave Otto De Grancy said he was furious when he saw the magnitude of damage. Soon after, he received a call from the boys’ mother, who he said was devastated by the incident.

“The mum contacted me and said ‘I want you to put them to work in the cemetery and make them pay their dues’ so we organised last Friday to meet the boys, their mum and their nanna at the cemetery,” he said. “I explained to the boys the meaning of a headstone and that each headstone tells its own story, I explained to them that a grave is a very sacred site for each person.”

Mr Otto De Grancy said the boys quickly became emotional when they realised the hurt they caused.

“After a while, the lads really broke down and I drummed into them how much they’d hurt their mum and nanna and they gave them a kiss and cuddle and apologised,” he said.

“Then we went through the whole cemetery and apologised to some of the graves they damaged; by the end, one of the little boys said ‘I just wish I could take all this back and say sorry to all the people’ and that’s when I knew they were not bad kids.”

Mr Otto De Grancy said he hoped the grassroots intervention would prove more effective than the boys facing the juvenile youth justice system.

“I don’t think anyone realises how much courage it would’ve taken from their mum to pick them up, take them to the police station and school, ring me up at council and dob them in,” he said. “Behind all this they are just sweet kids I think and they certainly didn’t realise how much trouble they were causing, so hopefully some good has come out of this.”

Mr Otto De Grancy said the boys were this week hand-weeding the entire cemetery after they were suspended from their primary school.

Today, he will also meet with the third boy in an effort to confront him with the damage and hurt they had caused.