Graveyard rampage tally: 713 damaged headstones

As many as 713 headstones were damaged last weekend in a Serbian Orthodox cemetery in Stapar, in Vojvodina, northern Serbia. This makes the number of desecrated graves considerably higher than the original estimate. Graveyard rampage tally: 713 damaged headstones A court forensic expert has confirmed the astonishing figure, that has the village shocked and demanding efficiency in discovering and punishing the perpetrators. Police originally said that 200 headstones were damaged, but the local authorities and the court expert counted and photographed 713. The material damage has not yet been estimated, head of the local office Natalija Katanic said. "There are two Orthodox cemeteries in Stapare, meaning that there is no Jewish cemetery, information got mixed up," she continued. "Citizens are unhappy, upset and worried. This is one in a series of misdeeds that took place lately." The local authorities said that they would compensate the damage with the assistance from the provincial government, and have called on the country's president, and the province's head of the executive council to visit Stapar on this All Souls' Day and witness the incalculable damage that has been done to the people there. Meanwhile, police said that they had a suspect in custody, Beta news agency reported. He was identified as B.Z., a "mentally unstable 41-year-old local".

Graveyard rampage tally: 713 damaged headstones

A court forensic expert has confirmed the astonishing figure, that has the village shocked and demanding efficiency in discovering and punishing the perpetrators.

Police originally said that 200 headstones were damaged, but the local authorities and the court expert counted and photographed 713.

The material damage has not yet been estimated, head of the local office Natalija Katanić said.

"There are two Orthodox cemeteries in Stapare, meaning that there is no Jewish cemetery, information got mixed up," she continued. "Citizens are unhappy, upset and worried. This is one in a series of misdeeds that took place lately."

The local authorities said that they would compensate the damage with the assistance from the provincial government, and have called on the country's president, and the province's head of the executive council to visit Stapar on this All Souls' Day and witness the incalculable damage that has been done to the people there.

Meanwhile, police said that they had a suspect in custody, Beta news agency reported. He was identified as B.Z., a "mentally unstable 41-year-old local".