Kathleen Papatriandaphillou was mistakingly buried with a stranger for more than a year, instead of with her husband and son and her family are wanting answers so this tragic mistake doesn’t happen again.

Her son, Steve Papas, claims that although the cemetary inititially denied the error, they have since exhumed her body and buried it in the appropriate grave. But the family who are seeking counselling after the traumatic experience have been denied by lawyers acting for the Greater Metropolitcan Cemeteries Trust. In a letter, they told Mr Papas that they are “not obligated to provide you and your family with counselling”.

The family of the deceased have decided not to pursue this case in VCAT saying instead that “it was never about the money”.

“What we really wanted was a personal apology, an explanation of how it happened and something done to rectify the problem and make sure it doesnt’ happen again,” Mr Papas told Herald Sun.

Mrs Papatriandaphillou was buried at Preston Cemetary on 25 September 2009 in what was supposed to be the same plot as her husband and son who died at 14. But the following year, the headstone the family ordered for their loved one, they found being erected on the wrong grave. Their worst nightmare was confirmed when on December 10 2010, they had their father’s grave opened that confirmed Mrs Papatriandaphillou was not buried ther but her body was in fact buried in an adjacent grave.

 The cemetary had to pay more than $10,000 to have her body exhumed and buried for a second time in the right grave.

Neos Kosmos