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Highschool Student Arrested in Desecration of Jewish Cemetery in Italy

March 6, 1968
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Police arrested one senior high school student and are looking for two others believed to be responsible for desecration and vandalism at the Viareggio Jewish cemetery several days ago. The youths are between the ages of 18 and 20. Jewish community leaders meanwhile made plans for a ceremony to mark the completion of repairs at the cemetery next Sunday. It will be conducted by Chief Rabbi Elio Toaff of Rome. Civil authorities and Catholic church officials will attend.

The young suspects were identified by police from fingerprints left on a liquor bottle found in the cemetery. They scrawled swastikas and anti-Jewish slogans on tombstones, opened graves and removed four skulls which they affixed to the cemetery wall and other places.

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