Funeral director accused of stealing from dead woman
An 82-year-old woman, Teresa had to sadly lay her 56-year-old daughter Helen Moratias to rest after her untimely death.
A devastated Teresa sensed something was off when she said the funeral director refused to open the casket at the church.
"I was screaming and crying," Moraitis told A Current Affair.
"I wanted to see my daughter and all my relatives wanted to see, to say goodbye.”
After months of emotional torture, Teresa made the decision to exhume her daughter's remains from the above ground mausoleum.
A Current Affair’s cameras were invited onto the scene, to bring to light what Teresa claims is the dark side of Australia’s unregulated funeral industry.
After travelling to the mortuary facility, embalmers opened the casket to find Teresa’s naked remains in a blue body bag with her arm up behind her head.
Thousands of dollars of gold jewellery and clothing that were given to the funeral director, Peter Tziotzis, were also missing.
Despite paying for her daughter to be embalmed and plans for an open casket funeral, no preparation had been done on the corpse, according to mortuary staff who examined the remains.
Teresa claimed on the day of the funeral, her family was told the casket had to be sealed shut as it was the coroner’s order.
The family said the coroner later confirmed that no such order ever came about.
"I feel betrayed," Teresa said.
After Helen’s body was exhumed, detectives arrested Tziotzis, while allegedly finding the missing jewellery and clothes at the funeral parlour.
Tziotzis released a statement, saying, “I wish to state in the clearest terms that A Current Affair’s version of events is incorrect and without factual basis.
“I did not steal any jewellery or clothing, I did not fail to prepare Ms Moraitis’ daughter’s body for the funeral and burial and I was not dishonest in any way in my dealings with Ms Moraitis.
“I also have not been charged with any criminal offence by Victoria Police.”
Tziotzis still denies all claims.
Image credit: A Current Affair