Fawkner Memorial Park gravesite of baby boy desecrated

A FAWKNER gravesite commemorating a loved baby boy was desecrated only six months after it was laid, shattering the deceased's parents.

Family Devastated by Graveyard Theft

A FAWKNER gravesite commemorating a loved baby boy was desecrated only six months after it was laid, shattering the deceased's parents.

It took Vince Bartko and Maria Raciti 18 months to save for a special tombstone for baby VJ, who was stillborn. The Taylors Lake pair arrived at Fawkner Memorial Park on March 10, horrified to find thieves had ravaged the memorial.

The tombstone's perspex display had been smashed and the model Harley Davidson motorbike that it protected had been stolen.

The replica motorbike had been a gift Ms Raciti bought for her baby.

The mother-of-three, who has rheumatoid arthritis, anxiety and depression, had cried ever since. "I can't eat, I can't sleep, it's just stuck in my gut," Ms Raciti said.

"It took us almost a year and half to get it (the headstone) because we couldn't afford it. We wanted to put angel wings on it because he was our angel," she said.

Mr Bartko said he was shocked anyone would go to such lengths to steal a toy worth $35. "A grave is sacred," he said. "It should never be touched."

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Greater Metropolitan Trust spokesman Scott Sampson said the incident, one of six cases of vandalism reported in the past year, had shocked staff. The trust will help the family make an insurance claim.

Mr Sampson said the maximum penalty for desecrating graves was $28,668 and two years of imprisonment.