Mediation Resolves Case of Damaged Tombstones of Djaduk Ferianto's Father-in-Law
The destruction of a gravestone at the public cemetery in Pekuncen, Yogyakarta, belonging to the father of Bernadetta Petra, the wife of the late artist Djaduk Ferianto, has been resolved through mediation by the Wirobrajan Police. The mediation resulted in a peace agreement between the two parties.
Wirobrajan Police Chief, Kompol Arif Darmawan, stated that the mediation proceeded smoothly and a mutual agreement was reached. “The mediation is complete, and both parties have agreed to end the matter peacefully,” he said on Wednesday (12/8/2026). He added that the headstone has been returned and reinstalled, restoring the grave to its original condition. The caretaker had taken the headstone because they wanted to meet the heir, and the situation has now been resolved amicably.
Arif further explained that the burial ground is an old cemetery managed by local residents, not by the Yogyakarta city government, meaning there are no official regulations regarding retribution fees. He noted that a group of 27 local people manage the site. The caretaker, identified by the initial S, inherited the role through generations. She claimed to have always received voluntary ‘cleaning money’ from visitors, though she never set a fixed amount. The conflict arose because the family had never met the caretaker directly, only giving money to the cleaning staff.
Petra recounted discovering the damage, which included a broken and missing headstone, during a visit on 11 August. She had difficulty locating her father’s grave, who died in 1971. When she questioned the cleaning staff, they refused to provide the caretaker’s contact information, prompting her to report the incident to the police. Officers then located the caretaker’s home and accompanied Petra there. The caretaker, an elderly woman, admitted to the act, saying, “If I hadn’t damaged the grave, you wouldn’t have looked for me, would you?” The caretaker was reportedly offended, believing Petra never left any money for her, although Petra stated she always left money with the cleaning staff present during her visits.