Greek authorities baffled by George-hating cemetery vandal
Authorities in the Greek capital are baffled by a bizarre vandalism case in Athens' largest cemetery against graves bearing the name 'George' and 'Georgina,' a city official said.
Deputy Mayor Katerina Katrivanou said security at the Third City Cemetery would be increased after around 50 grave tombstones were found smashed early on Thursday morning.
"We have had cases of vandalism in the past, usually by families with a grudge against each other, but never something on this scale," Katrivanou told AFP.
"The person who did this is clearly paranoid," she said.
The name 'George' (Yiorgos) is among the top three most popular names in Greece, along with 'John' (Yiannis) and 'Constantine' (Costas).
A similar case was reported in the cemetery of Schisto, a region west of Athens that is geographically near the Third Cemetery, the deputy mayor said.
The city official with responsibility for cemeteries, Katrivanou said she is now trying to organise night patrols to deter the vandal.
But finding volunteers to monitor the cemetery's 30,000 graves is proving "a bit difficult", she noted.
Hating George
