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Original poster

Auschwitz Theft

150 replies

OurBlanche · 29/12/2015 16:37

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 They are: The teenagers have withdrawn their admission of guilt, explaining that they were not aware that the items had special cultural significance.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...

OP posts:
fidel1ne · 31/12/2015 10:38

I think the museum placement was before the Polish incident Velour, but the BBC site is down so I can't check.

Original poster
OurBlanche · 31/12/2015 10:44

Placement was after

www.ibtimes.co.uk/auschwitz-theft-15000-year-perse-public-schoolboys-face-trial-stealing-holocaust-artefacts-1535404

According to The Telegraph, Marcus has embarked on work experience at the University of Cambridge's museums since the thefts from Auschwitz. The newspaper quoted him as saying he had learned from his experience, adding: "It gave me the chance to think like a curator and appreciate the objects far more than I would do as a visitor, understanding their history, their meaning and what we can learn from them."

Nicely self serving quote included!

OP posts:
fidel1ne · 31/12/2015 10:58

Oh okay. That really is a self-serving PR job then Shock

Notrevealingmyidentity · 31/12/2015 12:46

Amazing what money and influence can buy.

FinestGrundyTurkey · 31/12/2015 12:48

I thought it was before, too - & the Telegraph piece linked in that article says 'last year'

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/12073849/Boys-who-admitted-stealing-Auschwitz-items-on-school-trip-face-trial.html

Original poster
OurBlanche · 31/12/2015 12:51

Ah! Sloppy journalism then Smile

OP posts:
IrrationallyJealous · 31/12/2015 13:11

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.

Isn't this what the European Arrest Warrant is for?

Original poster
OurBlanche · 31/12/2015 13:16

And the best way of finding out is to wait and see what happens...she says looking round for her box of patience Smile

OP posts:
Draylon · 31/12/2015 13:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
OurBlanche · 31/12/2015 13:45

And that, Draylon, was my reaction when I read the update.

I cannot understand why they wouldn't just let it go and live with it. It would have been easily explained to future employers "Ah, yes. I have no idea what I was thinking back then. Thankfully I have grown up since."

Now, whatever the outcome, that simple reasoning will no longer be enough. How would you phrase it? I was daft enough too pick up some pieces a Auschwitz. Got caught and apologised. I accepted the fine and reprimand as I realised it was a stupid, thoughtless thing to do. But later I thought, wtf? How was I supposed to know that stuff was important to anyone. I mean, it was just lying on the ground, no one was looking after it, it was rusty and dirty...

They seem to have taken some really poor advice. OK, there may be something that we don't know about, but, on the face of it, this is a really daft move.

OP posts:
Muskey · 31/12/2015 13:54

I seriously doubt that this is the boys choice. Would you want the prospect of going on trial and studying for your a levels all at the same time.it is more than likely their parents. It is really sad that their parents have missed the lesson we all should learn from the atrocities of Auschwitz

Draylon · 31/12/2015 14:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ElinorRochdale · 31/12/2015 14:52

It is really sad that their parents have missed the lesson we all should learn from the atrocities of Auschwitz

Yes, all this seems to demonstrate that they, and whoever is advising them, really don't understand the cultural sensitivity of the site. I wonder what the school thinks about it. The longer it drags on, the longer its name will be associated with it, and presumably they want to take other groups there in future. I can't imagine the Polish authorities really want it all dragged out, either.

I highly doubt the boys would get ten years, though. I expect there's a sliding scale, with the heaviest penalties reserved for things like conspiring to steal with the intent to sell.

FinestGrundyTurkey · 31/12/2015 14:59

The neo-Nazi who stole the sign only got 2-ish years & that was with intent to sell.

On that basis they'll probably get a suspended sentence (I don't see how they can avoid a conviction of some kind)

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/former-neo-nazi-jailed-for-auschwitz-sign-theft-2172533.html

lovefairylights · 31/12/2015 16:55

Two things stand out to me - 1) this is all about future prospects/career as they want to try and clear their names and have the money to attempt this and 2) its increasingly the case in Poland that if you have the right money/connections/power you can do what you want, so I'm not holding my breath that they will be convicted. They clearly have connections that have advised that they will be able to get away with this line of defence.
It makes me so sad - both what they did and how they might get away with it

funnyperson · 31/12/2015 16:58

Well as the families of the boys (I take it the boys are still minors) have chosen to drag this up and plead ignorance, I do hope the boys do get extradited and publicly trialled and found guilty and sentenced accordingly in the international public interest with the maximum of publicity and especially on bbc childrens newsround.

Otherwise any school boy could go to any museum in the world and pick up stuff, put it in his backpack and plead ignorance and expect to get off.

funnyperson · 31/12/2015 17:03

What school they go to is only relevant in terms of their academic record to show they don't have learning difficulties or difficulty reading and understanding signs.

funnyperson · 31/12/2015 17:08

Indeed arguably the historian's interest of one of the boys makes a criminal intent of the episode more likely in my view and this whole subsequent attempt to cover up only reinforces my opinion

funnyperson · 31/12/2015 17:17

However DS 's view as that the boys didn't do it out of disrespect for the previous inmates of Auschwitz, ie the boys were unlikely to be neo-nazi's, but because they wanted a souvenir, but as there were signs in English all over the place they should and would have known better.

funnyperson · 31/12/2015 17:19

Highly unlikely they will get off imo

Notrevealingmyidentity · 31/12/2015 17:25

I have a sneaking suspicion they will. I just can't see their presumably intelligent parents with their expensive legal advice taking this step otherwise ...

funnyperson · 31/12/2015 17:37

It is of course possible that the boys had neo-nazi inclinations. DS says it is rife in those sorts of right wing schools. Only an investigation of their online social networks and other surveillance under the UK govts 'prevent' and counter terrorism legislation would clarify that.

Their parents may be intelligent but in this case parental judgement is impaired by emotional involvement

The question is can clever but morally unscrupulous lawyers get them off on a point of law or will Polish judges turn out to be corruptible

There is something about this case which says to me that the Polish judges and indeed the Polish people may decide to take a public moral stand.

funnyperson · 31/12/2015 17:38

What country wants to have its museums desecrated by the wealthy of another country?

TheoriginalLEM · 31/12/2015 17:40

They think they are above the law, that daddy will sort it out for them because they go to a posh public school. Has always been thus

Caprinihahahaha · 31/12/2015 17:43

Golly, if only we had funnypersons DS to explain everything to us dumb fuck women?

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