‘Unforgivable’: Teens arrested after 100 gravesites allegedly smashed

A group of teens have been arrested after an “unforgivable” alleged act left a community reeling.

Three teenagers have been arrested after allegedly damaging about 100 headstones at a cemetery in Queensland’s southeast.

Police allege the teens knocked over the headstones at a cemetery at Harristown in Toowoomba on the night of August 9.

Images released by local MP David Janetzki showed headstones broken in half and crosses shattered and flipped over.

The Toowoomba South MP condemned the vandalism, stating that “you can’t get lower than grave desecration”.

Damaged gravestones at a Toowoomba cemetery. Picture: Facebook

“For criminals to target the sacred resting place of our community’s departed loved ones is unforgivable,” he said.

Cemetery Tours Toowoomba, which runs group tours of the site, said they were “angry and saddened” by the damage.

“If the culprits bothered to explore the people who lie at rest under the headstones that they’ve desecrated, they would learn of their hardships and triumphs, tragedy and innovation. They would find a respect for the way of life of a bygone era,” tour operator Lisa wrote on Facebook.

“Times were hard, really hard, and yet they persisted and made the Toowoomba region what it is today. I hope those responsible are caught. I’d like to see their punishment as cleaning up the graves, working with stonemasons to fix what they can, and research who lies within.”

Crosses and headstones were smashed or broken. Picture: Facebook

Others appeared to have been overturned. Picture: Facebook

Three teenage boys aged between 15 and 17 from Toowoomba and the surrounding towns have since been arrested.

In a statement, Queensland Police said the three boys had all been dealt with under provisions of the Youth Justice Act.

Under the act, police can opt to take no action over young offenders, give them a caution, or refer to a youth conference.

Originally published as ‘Unforgivable’: Teens arrested after 100 gravesites allegedly smashed