Lokeren (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A Lokeren gravedigger received a conviction for breaking the law regarding corpse treatment. Evidence from the East Flanders public prosecutor’s office reveals this truth. A cemetery worker approached police last summer to expose improper actions from his co-worker at the gravesite.
A worker from the Lokeren gravedigging team received a 250 euro fine from East Flanders public prosecutors after desecrating human remains. A colleague made a police report about his actions during summertime last year, which led to the discovery of the case.
The investigation resulted in the gravedigger receiving a 250 euro fine while court prosecution was avoided. Personnel from the Lokeren city government dug up a nun’s body improperly from a shared grave site by first adding earth to her coffin to silence the breakage noise he made when he destroyed the lid.
“After her burial, he would put a small amount of earth on the coffin,”
A fellow gravedigger explained.
“This was to muffle the sound when he later smashed the lid.”
Mayor Filip Anthuenis (Local Liberal) does not wish to comment on this for the time being.
“I will not make any substantive statements about this, but I can say that we are handling this file as it should be.”
He is relieved that the facts have been proven.
“It has not been easy, but I have been able to put it in its place.”
What is the history behind the Lokeren gravedigger case?
Belgian law declares corpse desecration a criminal offence, which leads to financial penalties as well as prison time. This disturbing case in Lokeren East Flanders has gained major public attention because of its disturbing nature, as the city has 42,000 residents. The strict rules which define Belgian gravediggers’ work responsibilities make this instance of violation particularly exceptional.
European countries commonly use communal graves as burial spaces since limited land availability requires multiple body interments. Belgian funeral industry data reveals that communal types of burials occupy around 30% of all graves found in urban settings.
These events produce emotional effects which demonstrate the mental strain experienced by professionals in related fields.
