Main Cemetery in Stapar Desecrated

At the main cemetery in Stapar, in the evening between May 31 and June 1, 2009, vandals destroyed and desecrated around three hundred graves. An examination at the scene of the crime was completed the same morning and besides the executive of the Secretariat of interior affairs and the assistant to the public defendant, the judge of the township court of Sombor was also present. Criminal charges were pressed against the unknown vandals for damages done to the cemetery.

The criminals tore down and broke the headstones throughout the entire cemetery and at places entire rows were destroyed. It was only a month ago, on May 1, that not far from the town, at Vodica the church dedicated to the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos was desecrated, grafitti was discovered, while a few years ago gunshots were found on the cross which adorns the church.

The residents of Stapar, disturbed by the frequency of these unpleasant events, are awaiting from the highest state officials an energetic action with the aim of protecting the Orthodox holy sites and discovering the identity of the culprits of these monstrous deeds. This crime reminded the residents of similar events which, in this measure, exist only among the suffering in Kosovo and Metohija.