Shattered: Mark Baker with smashed trinkets from his daughter Rachel’s grave
JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
Vandals have desecrated the grave of young car accident victim Rachel Baker during a spree at Geelong’s Western Cemetery.
Her father, Mark Baker, issued a heartfelt plea to anyone who knew the identity of the vandals after he discovered the damage this week.
“If you know who did it, ask them to stop it,” Mr Baker said.
“How would you feel if it was the grave of a friend of yours?”
Ms Baker was a rear-seat passenger who tragically died in a horror car accident near North Geelong’s Separation Street overpass in June, 2009.
Mr Baker said the vandals smashed some of Rachael’s beloved trinkets and stole a locket draped around a photograph of her on the grave’s headstone.
“She loved those little trinkets,” Mr Baker said.
“Life is enough of a battle as it is. Her death wrecked our lives and this just whacks us again.
“I feel like she’s been violated again.”
More than a dozen other graves in the Catholic section of the cemetery suffered similar damage.
Bell Post Hill’s Franceska Dezelak said she found her parents’ grave desecrated when she visited on the weekend.
“My sister visited our parent’s grave last week and saw two or three graves vandalised but when I went on Sunday I found my parent’s grave had been desecrated and another 20 or 30 had also been damaged,” Ms Dezelak said.
“It looks like its on-going because someone has just gone mad. I’m appalled.
“It appears that someone is very angry. Regular visitors will be absolutely distraught.
“Vases, crosses, angels have all been smashed and the pieces are strewn everywhere.”
Mrs Dezelak said Geelong Cemeteries Trust should install a security camera to catch the vandals.
“It’s not that expensive to put up a camera and catch them. I know the police can’t be everywhere all the time, so the community has to be alert.”
Trust head Darryl Thomas said security patrolled the cemetery twice during evenings and on weekends.
“It’s upsetting but unfortunately it does happen from time to time,” Mr Thomas said.
“We try to act as quickly as we can to bring it to a halt. We contact schools in the area and often other kids have known something about it and assisted with information.
“We always do catch them; we’re very serious about it. A reward is offered.”
Geelong police also appealed for anyone with information to phone the Crime Scene office on 5225 3237.
