'Unspeakable act' sees 85 graves vandalised in 'Islamophobic hate crime' including graves of 'babies and children'
14 April 2025, 20:02
85 graves have been vandalised in the Muslim section of a cemetery - with the graves of 'babies and young children' defaced in 'unspeakable' and 'abhorrent' act.
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The incident took place at Carpenders Park Lawn Cemetery in Watford.
Hertfordshire Police are carrying out extra patrols in the local area and have launched an investigation.
Wadi Funeralcare - a Muslim funeral service - said it was "heartbroken" and that "some graves were subjected to unspeakable acts of disrespect".
Inspector Will Rogers-Overy said: "Senior officers are working closely with local community leaders to identify those family members who will be most affected.
"In the coming days we will engage further with the Muslim community who will have been particularly impacted by this horrendous crime".
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Carpenders Park Lawn Cemetery is owned by Brent Council.
Councillor Muhammed Butt said: "Our thoughts are with the families of those whose graves were desecrated. I cannot imagine how they must be feeling at this moment.
"It looks as though Muslim graves have been targeted in what appears to be an Islamophobic hate crime.
"We will reinstate the damaged name plaques and return Carpenders Park Lawn Cemetery to a peaceful, quiet place of remembrance as quickly as possible, once the police have finished their investigation".
Abbas Merali, a Conservative councillor at Three Rivers District Council, slammed the incident as "barbaric".
He added: "These abhorrent actions have caused immense anguish to grieving families and profound hurt across our community".
A spokesperson for Wadi Funeralcare said: "We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the many individuals and organisations who responded swiftly and stood in solidarity with the affected families and our wider community.
"This incident has deeply shaken our community, but the swift response and shared outrage remind us of the strength we have when we stand together".
Wadi Funeralcare reportedly found out about the vandalism from a family who had attended the cemetery to pay their respects to a loved one.
Chief Superintendent Jon Simpson, from the Local Policing Command at Hertfordshire Constabulary, said: “This is an abhorrent incident and one that will understandably spark an emotive reaction in the community.
"We are continuing to work closely with our local community leaders and our partners at Brent Council, which owns the site, to identify those families who have been affected but we appreciate that this will take some time.
"At this stage, we are keeping an open mind as to the nature of this incident and in the coming days we will continue to engage with our Muslim communities to provide support and reassurance.
“We’re also working with specialist officers in the constabulary to ensure we remain sensitive and respectful to the needs of the communities involved.
“In addition, specialist officers will be attending Carpenders Park Lawn Cemetery to provide crime prevention advice.
“They are also planning to attend other cemeteries and community venues in the area to offer further reassurance and advice.”
