PHOTO: TONI MCDONALDA fitting punishment for stealing plaques from the graves of war veterans would be to "clean and scrub every bloody headstone", an Invercargill RSA member says. Four of them were taken from the graves of returned service personnel who served in World Wars 1 and 2. If found guilty, the man "should be made to go down to the Eastern Cemetery and clean and scrub every bloody headstone there — it’s got a lot more", he said. "Hundred hours worth of community service down there cleaning up graves and headstones, I think, would be a very fitting punishment. The plaques were critical for families of war veterans to find their loved ones and see the physical acknowledgement of their sacrifice, he said.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 07, 2026 21:34 UTC