Several families have reported missing bronze items from the tombstones of their loved ones at the Addolorata cemetery as the wave of thefts and vandalism in Malta’s biggest burial ground continues.

Most of the thefts were discovered last week when families visited the cemetery to place flowers on graves to mark Mother’s Day, turning the day from one of remembrance into “disgust”.

The thefts and vandalism are taking place at a time when the Environmental Health Directorate, which is responsible for the management of the cemetery, is in the process of issuing a call for tenders for the installation of closed circuit television cameras, which is one of the measures being implemented to increase security at Malta’s main cemetery.

The authorities received 69 reports of thefts and vandalism at the Addolorata cemetery until the beginning of this month, but this did not include the complaints filed after last Sunday’s discoveries.

Mary Anne Agius from St Julian’s was lost for words when trying to describe her feelings after her parents’ grave was targeted in just six months.

“It’s a shameful massacre,” she told The Sunday Times.

She explained that the family had embellished the grave with a bronze monument of flowers and birds, since her father was a bird lover, but this went missing six months ago.

The marble slab was also broken in the process.

This time round, the family found that the crucifix and the rings at the corners of the marble slab were also stolen. She said her family’s grave was not the only one to be targeted as others in the vicinity were also desecrated.

The majority of the damaged graves are located towards the back of the cemetery where there is no perimeter wall to the surrounding fields.

Doris Sacco from Fgura was also shocked to find that the crucifix on her mother’s grave had been stolen.

“After the initial shock, I felt hurt inside, and this was followed by a sense of rage and frustration. How could anyone stoop so low as to desecrate our family’s final resting place?” she said.

Theft from graves seemed to be a flourishing and lucrative business, Ms Sacco said.

“You become overcome by a feeling of helplessness because guarding our homes against theft is one thing, but finding your loved ones’ graves vandalised for theft is something you really find hard to believe,” she said.

The cemetery, which has close to 16,000 graves, covers a large area and has been targeted by vandals and thieves several times in the recent past.

Twice last year, the grave of Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi’s parents was vandalised and scrawled with obscenities.

In November, the Health Ministry launched an investigation into the theft of a bronze sculpture by Anton Agius from the memorial to stillborn babies.

In December, yet another investigation was launched into the theft of a bronze cross on the headstone of a family grave.

It was the third time the same grave had been targeted by vandals or thieves in 10 years.

In January, the Environmental Health Directorate and the police started collaborating to clamp down on the damage and find those responsible.

There are two security officers at the cemetery working on a seven-day roster from 6.15 a.m. to 6.15 p.m. and one gatekeeper working on a seven-day roster between 7 a.m. and 5.15 p.m. to control the entrances to the cemetery. During the night, seven watchmen work on a seven-day roster between 5 p.m. and 7 a.m., divided into two shifts.