A Tongatapu family had a distressing beginning to the week after finding their mother’s tomb had been destroyed.
After Livoni Mele Fīnau’s mother died, she was buried at Talisola cemetery in Kumifonua Ua, Hōfoa, three weeks ago.
Miss Fīnau said her mother’s tomb had been partly dug up, smashed, causing a piece of cement to fall on her mother’s chest.
The vandals also appeared to have poured an acid-like liquid into the grave, Finau told Kaniva News.
Miss Fīnau said the attack had a huge traumatic experience among her family.
She described it in Tongan as “vicious and disgusting”.
She said a complaint had been lodged with Police.
It has been alleged eight other graves in the same cemetery had been destroyed.
The news came after we previously reported an incident in Neiafu in which a grave was destroyed. It was thought to be the result of someone believing the spirits of the dead were harming members of their family.
An authority in Vava’u criticised the claim at the time saying it was a false belief still held by uneducated and ignorant people.
in 2018 a family in Longoteme was left distraught after they discovered the skeletal remains of their parents were allegedly stolen from their grave.
In that case, the grave was partly destroyed, and photos placed on the deceased’s headstone were also damaged.
We also reported at the time that a Tongan family in Auckland was devastated after vandals damaged their mother’s grave by opening large holes at both ends of the grave.
