Desecration of the grave
Desecration of graves refers to the willful destruction or damage of graves. In contrast to grave robbery , it is mostly pure vandalism . Desecration of graves is a criminal offense in Germany according to Section 168 of the Criminal Code (StGB) as disturbing the peace of the dead . It is controversial whether this includes the removal of (flower) jewelry, since according to the prevailing view, the violated legal interest is the piety of relatives and society through the continuing personal rights of the deceased beyond death ( post-mortem personal rights ). Any unauthorized interference with the condition of a grave is usually an administrative offense, at least according to local law ( cemetery regulations ). The unauthorized removal of objects from graves can also be punishable by theft.
