A criminal investigation surrounds a man’s act of taking wooden crosses from a graveyard to burn at home, which was captured on video.
The accused, a 73-year-old from the Barza commune in Olt county, Romania, was filmed by a witness as he transported several wooden crosses in a cart.
The video, which appeared on TikTok, sparked public interest.
Ion Anuta, the local mayor, revealed that this was not the first instance of the man taking crosses from the village cemetery.
Anuta explained that the man’s actions stem from his past.
The man, who used to be a highly regarded fiddle player, performed at restaurants in the Olt Valley for many years. However, he retired after his son’s death decades ago.
According to Mr. Anuta, as reported in Gandul, a Romanian online newspaper, the accused was a “very decent man in his life,” but the suffering caused by the death of his 19-year-old son had a severe impact on him, leading to his erratic behavior.
Anuta added: “He has a pension. The man was a fiddler for the boyars. He sang at the biggest restaurant in Calimanești, he sang for Ceaușescu.”
“He has a fantastic musical culture, if you talk to him. When you talk to him about music, it’s over, he has a fantastic lucidity. But, he has a problem. The police take him, he is hospitalised, and after a few months, he’s discharged.”
The mayor further highlighted that the man was not aggressive and had a fondness for animals, often caring for abandoned dogs and cats.
A local resident initiated a criminal case for desecrating graves despite the positive attributes mentioned.
A woman who witnessed the man taking the cross noted, “The cross is brand new, look, it’s stiff. Rujan is written on it.”
The suspect replied, “It’s old!”
The woman retorted, “Well, what a wretched man!”
Officials from the Olt County Police Inspectorate confirmed that they are working on a criminal investigation file for the desecration of graves.