Five cuddly toys lie on the grave of Jay Manichand’s son. There may only be three, says the municipality of Eindhoven. “If I don’t remove them I’ll get a fine,” says Jay, somewhat frustrated. Eindhoven resident Jay and his wife Michelle van de Wiel have had a difficult relationship with their municipality since they cleaned up almost the entire grave due to a misunderstanding. That happened over a year ago. The letter from the municipality stating that a fine is imminent is therefore particularly bad.
The couple’s lawyer, Peter van de Laar, reacts strongly. “It is incomprehensible to me how the council can send such a heartless letter to residents,” he writes in a response to the mayor and aldermen. “My clients still grieve for their child every day, and then the municipality comes and whines about a bear that has shifted a bit. You apparently do not realize the psychological suffering you are causing.”
According to lawyer Van de Laar, the couple has the feeling that the municipality is waging a smear campaign against them and wants to cause them ‘needless suffering’. The municipality may impose a so-called ‘administrative enforcement order’, forcing the family to remove items from the grave.
Almost the entire grave gone
Jay and his wife Michelle van de Wiel’s son was stillborn three years ago. Since then, they have maintained his grave with the greatest care at De Ouden Toren cemetery in Eindhoven. After a year and a half the misery started because the grave would take up too much space. Father Jay gave permission to remove posts, among other things. Due to miscommunication, almost the entire grave was removed.
Case against municipality
After a lot of fuss, in which father Jay also played a part by threatening and intimidating, the grave has still not been completely restored. That is why a lawsuit will soon be filed against the municipality.
But before that happens, Jay and his wife received this letter from the municipality because there were two too many cuddly toys on the grave. “That wasn’t the only thing,” says Jay. “There would also be a cuddly toy next to the grave instead of on it and there are too many things on the grave.” Because this is against the rules of the cemetery, there is now a threat of a fine if the items do not disappear.
The municipality of Eindhoven was not yet able to respond substantively to the issue on Tuesday.
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