In July 2008, Tom-Rune Bertelsen and Lone Sveum Bertelsen experienced every parent’s worst nightmare.
Their son Svein-Erik Bertelsen died in a tragic accident when he was just 7.
The boy was buried in a cemetery in Drammen, with the grave serving as a beautiful, peaceful place for his family to come together and grieve.
According to Drammens Tidende, when Svein-Erik’s parents and grandmother visited the grave on Monday, they realized something was missing.
For ten years, parents Tom-Rune and Lone Sveum missed their beloved boy and grieved for him, taken far too soon.
Svein-Erik Sveum Bertelsen was only seven and a half years old when he drowned in a tragic accident in the summer of 2008.
“We always think about how he would have been today. He was a very brave boy,” father Tom-Rune told Norwegian source TV2.
Posted by Lone Sveum Bertelsen on Saturday, February 13, 2016
Svein-Erik was an energetic child who loved dragons and cartoon characters like Shrek.
As a result, Lone and Tom-Rune placed a small dragon figurine on his gravestone. The son had often played with the toy, so his parents felt it fitting to leave it with him.
However, the toy did not remain long as it was stolen after a few years.
In addition to dragons, Svein-Erik also loved swords. Especially one sword, a replica he had received during a trip to Legoland.
Just like with the dragon, his parents placed it at the grave.
Our boy who is always in our hearts would have turned 12 today. We miss you very much
Posted by Tom-Rune Bertelsen on Monday, April 1, 2013
“Because of what happened to the dragon, I made sure the sword was secure. I mounted it on a reinforced bracket and fastened it so it would be secure,” explained Tom-Rune.
And so the sword remained in place for a long time.
However, when Svein-Erik’s parents and grandmother visited on Monday, they realized something was missing. The sword had been stolen.
Powerlessness and Anger
Posted by Tom-Rune Bertelsen on Saturday, August 18, 2012
Initially, Tom-Run was angry. Anger boiled within him, only to have the emotions fade into sadness and disappointment.
“It’s absolutely unbelievable. I don’t understand how it’s possible,” he said. “This time they really must have struggled with it. A small child could not have removed it, so it must have been an adult, maybe two. I really hammered the bracket securely, but it’s still torn.”
Mother Lone also wrote a Facebook post explaining what had happened.
It’s tragic that people can’t leave things on the graves… it’s so sad and frustrating, the sword that Svein-Erik got in Legoland and played with has now been stolen… an old and worn toy sword… what do people need it for..
Posted by Lone Sveum Bertelsen on Monday, May 14, 2018
Fortunately, the family has received a lot of support after the theft, mainly from friends and acquaintances.
“There are so many who had a connection to Svein-Erik,” Tom said. “They are also angry and disappointed and are sad on our behalf.”
To honor Svein-Erik, a dragon is engraved on his gravestone. Tom, Lone, and Svein-Erik’s brother have the same tattooed on their bodies.
Incidents Increasing
Ivar NygÃ¥rd is a church director in Drammen. He says you don’t often hear about thefts from children’s graves.
However, he said that the speed at which things go missing from cemeteries is increasing.
“People dig and steal flowers, nice stones, and lights, all things that can be used at other graves. Some also steal personal belongings from graves,” NygÃ¥rd told Drammen Tidende.
Hopefully, with the dragon engraved on the gravestone, Svein-Erik’s family can now grieve in peace.
Stealing from a child’s grave is so low that I can hardly put it into words. It shouldn’t happen.
Hopefully, thieves can see the kind of suffering they cause when they steal from a grave.
No one should be able to take a gravestone and get away with it. Share this article to bring attention to the story of Lone, Tom-Rune, and Svein-Erik.
