They thought they were saying a final goodbye to their loved one, but the urn in their hands was empty. Last May, the ashes of a certain Erwin were indeed lost before the funeral ceremony organized. No trace of the urn in the locked cabinet at the cemetery in Wetzikon (ZH). In such a case, the person in charge of the place should inform the relatives of the deceased and postpone the burial. But the man who had only been running the cemetery for a few days opted for another path, reports the “Tages Anzeiger”.
“After unsuccessful searches, it was decided to symbolically bury an empty urn. This decision was taken without consultation with relatives,” concedes the City of Wetzikon. The cemetery staff would not have wanted to “confront the bereaved family with this problem, and in this difficult situation”. The story could have ended there. But no. Because the urn suddenly reappeared three months later. During all this time, she would have rested at the crematorium in Rüti (ZH).
Questioned about this specific case, the latter assures that “the processes took place correctly” and that “no order was given to bring a ballot box on August 22 to Wetzikon”. The president of the foundation board advances the protection of personality, while declaring that he has no time to waste in responding to the press. For their part, the authorities, who were informed of the problem at the end of October, assure that Erwin’s ashes have been resting in Wetzikon since the end of August.
“The decision to bury an empty urn was made with the best of intentions. However, it is clear, after the fact, that this procedure was erroneous, admits the City. Relatives were deprived of the opportunity to decide on the farewell ritual. They should have been involved from the start.” Thanks to the daily investigation, it is now done. Local authorities, who speak of a “regrettable and isolated case”, have called for an administrative investigation.
