A burial mix-up at a council-owned cemetery in South Australia has caused fresh anguish for two families, after a man was mistakenly interred in the wrong crypt.
Stranger Placed in Family Crypt
The owners of the crypt have expressed anger and distress after a stranger was laid to rest in a site meant for their loved ones. Anna Traino, whose family is affected, said the situation is devastating.
"There's no words to describe the horror and the disappointment," Traino told 7NEWS. Her sister and brother-in-law had pre-purchased crypts at Salisbury Memorial Park, near where her husband is buried. Just weeks ago, they discovered an unrelated man had been placed in one of those crypts.
"My sister's very sick," Traino said. "Her days are numbered. And she doesn't know when it'll be her time to know that someone's already been in there."
Cemetery Management Response
The cemetery is owned by Salisbury Council but managed by Adelaide Cemeteries, which confirmed the error. Management stated that an interment took place in a crypt that had been pre-purchased by another family for future use, and it has offered "sincere and deepest apologies" to those affected.
Adelaide Cemeteries said it has strict processes in place but has launched a review to prevent such errors from recurring. "They're both very, very distressed," Traino added. "You've already sealed it and you think that this is over, we've done our last thing."
Management expressed confidence that a solution can be reached without removing the body already laid to rest, but the bungle has inflicted fresh pain on two families already dealing with grief.
