This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/23/uk-teenagers-held-thefts-artefacts-auschwitz-museum
The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
UK teenagers held over theft of artefacts from Auschwitz museum | UK teenagers held over theft of artefacts from Auschwitz museum |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Two British teenagers have spent the night in a Polish jail after being arrested at the former Auschwitz death camp on suspicion of stealing artefacts that belonged to former prisoners. | Two British teenagers have spent the night in a Polish jail after being arrested at the former Auschwitz death camp on suspicion of stealing artefacts that belonged to former prisoners. |
The boys, both aged 17, are accused of attempting to steal a comb, spoons, buttons and pieces of glass from a building where Nazi German guards stored prisoners’ confiscated belongings. | |
Sergeant Krzysztof Lach, a spokesman at the Krakow police headquarters, told the Guardian that the teenagers were “probably on a school trip” and were with a group of friends when they were detained at 3pm on Monday. | |
The boys were questioned on Monday and Tuesday but were refusing to cooperate with the police investigation, Lach added. A translator was sitting in on the interviews on Tuesday. | The boys were questioned on Monday and Tuesday but were refusing to cooperate with the police investigation, Lach added. A translator was sitting in on the interviews on Tuesday. |
The pair face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty of theft. | The pair face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty of theft. |
Lach said the boys were arrested because they were suspected of stealing “some stuff from the museum – two pieces of broken glass, spoons, clothes buttons and a comb”. | |
“The museum is very important for us and to people from all around the world and the Jewish people,” Lach added. | |
Polish police said the pair were found acting suspiciously in block 5, where belongings of former prisoners were kept during the second world war. | Polish police said the pair were found acting suspiciously in block 5, where belongings of former prisoners were kept during the second world war. |
“They spent the night in a special jail for youths because one of them is 17 years old and the other is 18 years old. One of them is too young [to be kept] in a Polish jail,” said Lach. | “They spent the night in a special jail for youths because one of them is 17 years old and the other is 18 years old. One of them is too young [to be kept] in a Polish jail,” said Lach. |
A spokeswoman at the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office said officials were in contact with the Polish authorities and were ready to provide consular assistance. | |
The Holocaust Educational Trust (HET), one of the biggest UK organisers of trips to Auschwitz, said the two arrested were not on one of their trips. | |
Auschwitz, located near the city of Krakow in southern Poland, has become a poignant symbol of the Holocaust that claimed 6 million Jewish lives across Europe. | Auschwitz, located near the city of Krakow in southern Poland, has become a poignant symbol of the Holocaust that claimed 6 million Jewish lives across Europe. |
Around 1.5 million people, mainly European Jews, were gassed, shot, hanged or burned at Auschwitz during the war. | Around 1.5 million people, mainly European Jews, were gassed, shot, hanged or burned at Auschwitz during the war. |
Museum curators say some visitors try to pilfer artefacts as souvenirs. In 2010, a Swedish man was jailed for orchestrating the theft of the infamous “Arbeit macht frei” sign from the entry gate of the Auschwitz site. | Museum curators say some visitors try to pilfer artefacts as souvenirs. In 2010, a Swedish man was jailed for orchestrating the theft of the infamous “Arbeit macht frei” sign from the entry gate of the Auschwitz site. |