Auschwitz Theft

[OurBlanche]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-35194290

Why? They were going to be fined for being stupid and thoughtless. Now they are going to try and make people believe that attending one of the 'best' prep schools in the UK neglects to educate its pupils on the long term cultural significance of Auschwitz, whilst arranging an edcaational trip to, erm, Auschwitz.

Why? They were 17, not 7. The guards, curators, legal system and the school had all acknowledged that the usual expediency of a fine, suspended sentence and sound telling off would be appropriate. End of story, silly boys.

Now what? Are they going to defend themselves by saying they couldn't be expected to know that anything inside Auschwitz might have been anything important? Oh yes! They are: The teenagers have withdrawn their admission of guilt, explaining that they were not aware that the items had special cultural significance.

What's that phrase? More money than sense...

[fidel1ne]

Ah yes the young man who killed four people in his car at 16 and has just been apprehended fleeing through Mexico with his mother. From probation, not prison, poor petal.

[WhoTheFuckIsSimon]

I guess one of the problems for people n such a situation these days is Google. They go to an expensive school and I'm guessing their parents have hopes of a high flying career.

If they'd accepted the caution/telling off when any future potential employer googles their name this is the story they will find. So maybe they think it's worth the gamble of trying to clear their names.

[Pepperpot99]

Indeed fidel1ne; the poor lamb was so rich and spoiled he didn't realise the full significance of the fact that he mowed down and killed 4 people. You see it in the States all the time, celebrities committing crimes and their lawyers taking massive bungs using affluenza as part of their defence and getting their clients off.

[Pepperpot99]

It isn't just that these two individuals handled the items- they allegedly stole them as they were found in their bags. That must prove intent, surely? It sounds to me like they decided they could flog them on ebay or similar.

[FinestGrundyTurkey]

Really, pepperpot? Hadn't heard the bag thing. Have you got a link, please?

[Pepperpot99]

Sorry Grundy, I'm not very techy and can't do links but I was just reading about it in the Jewish Chronicle online - if you go into //www.thejc.com then into 'news' and then 'uk news' you'll find the report. If you do, could you link it please? thx xxxx

[WhoTheFuckIsSimon]

here

[Pepperpot99]

Wow that was fast! thanks Simon

[FinestGrundyTurkey]

Found it -thanks, Pepperpot - link below

"The students from Perse School in Cambridge were fined 1000 Zloty (£170) and given suspended sentences in June after police found items believed to be stolen from the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum in their bags.
"The teenagers - who were on an educational trip - admitted responsibility, but have now changed their minds because they were not aware at the time the items had special cultural significance and the seriousness of the offence.
"The pupils, who were 17 at the time, will be charged with misappropriation of objects that are artefacts of special cultural significance, which carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence.
"Buttons, a fragment of a hair clipper, and a piece of a spoon which belonged to the concentration camp prisoners were allegedly found in the youths’ backpacks ."

www.thejc.com/node/151777

At best they sound irredeemably obtuse & uncaring

[Pepperpot99]

"attempted to keep some items" .....err, steal , then ?

Amazing how euphemisms can be used so expertly isn't it?

[FinestGrundyTurkey]

The JC reports at the time are most interesting

www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/138237/british-teenagers-arrested-over-stolen-auschwitz-artefacts
'According to Deputy Inspector Mariusz Ciarka of the Malopolska police, the pupils denied the offences'

www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/138272/british-teenagers-fined-and-given-suspended-sentences-stealing-artefacts-auschwi
'The teenagers, aged 17 and 18' (suggesting that at least one of them was in Y13)

They are not covering themselves in glory, are they?

[Muskey]

The strange thing about all this is regardless of the outcome their names will always be associated with poor decision making and ethically questionable at best or attempted theft of culturally sensitive artifacts at worst

[FinestGrundyTurkey]

No, they're never going to be completely exonerated, are they, despite this gamble?

This story will always be found whenever their names come up, whatever happens next, & this latest development just makes their attitude & judgement look even worse.

Madness

[Notrevealingmyidentity]

I agree - that's what's so foolish about it.

If as it was before they could perhaps have gotten away with the "misunderstanding" spin.

I have to say though their parents and lawyers must think they have a real chance of getting away with it surely or they wouldn't have taken the gamble in the first place ?

[winnybella]

I very much doubt their new defence strategy will wash with the Polish court. Also fairly sure citing 'affluenza' as the justification for their behaviour would have judges falling about laughing. They probably won't get prison time, but I think a conviction is fairly certain. Idiots.

[Notrevealingmyidentity]

Well that's my view too. But surely, surely these shit hot expensive lawyers would know this ? No ?

[mollyonthemove]

My ds goes to a state school in Cambridge and went on a school Auschwitz trip in July. He said the entire party were stunned into silence the whole way round and couldn't understand how anyone couldn't be. I am amazed to think people can't treat such places with the utter respect they command; whether that's not picking things up which are obviously not to be picked hi p, or laughing and joking! Amazing.

[velourvoyageur]

Saying that they should know better as they pay for their school is not very nice to those of us who've gone to non fee paying schools, as if money buys you sensitivity and feeling we did cover the Holocaust in my state school, thank you (and it's not often I stick up for the national curriculum!)

Way too big of an issue is being made of the private school thing.
Anyone facing such a huge punishment will try to get out of it, using the means available - rich or poor.
This MN vilification of the rich is getting a bit much at times. I might not agree with paying for school but many people in my family do pay for it and they don't have huge inflated egos and disrespect for others.

10 years is a ridiculous amount of time. At 17 you still don't have the empathy or humility of a grown adult.
Yes they behaved shockingly but you can get less time for s. assault. What they did is nowhere near as damaging as that.

[velourvoyageur]

Surely community service would be much more helpful than anything else.

[velourvoyageur]

Shocked that he's been offered such a great work placement (his museum job) though! In what way did he prove he was at all suitable for the role? Was there no one else who could be found. This is the part of the consequence he should be facing - getting turned down for jobs because of his behaviour. Not getting offered amazing internships in places where he could do the very same thing all over again.

[HelpfulChap]

Goes to show a £200k education can't teach you common sense.

They are idiots and at that age should know better. That said not sure what the appropriate punishment should be. Initially I was in the 'throw the book at them camp' but on reflection I'm feeling a bit more lenient.

[Notrevealingmyidentity]

I imagine the parents money or connections got him the museum placement.

[Dipankrispaneven]

They probably won't get prison time, but I think a conviction is fairly certain. Idiots.

But how certain is it that they will be tried? I haven't seen any indication that they will go back to Poland to be tried, or that Poland is applying for extradition, or that they can be tried in their absence.