British teens who tried to steal Holocaust victims' possessions from Auschwitz walk free from court

 
Theft allegation: Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and State Museum, Krakow, where two British teenagers were accused of stealing items that had belonged to Holocaust victims (Picture: IBL/Rex)
IBL/REX
Ramzy Alwakeel23 June 2015
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Two Cambridge schoolboys accused of stealing items that belonged to Holocaust victims have walked free from court after being fined £170 each.

The 17-year-olds, both of whom attend £15,000-a-year Perse School, admitted taking the "items of historical importance" during a history trip to the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, Krakow.

A spokesman for the school told the Press Association they were fined 1,000 zloty (about £170) and given a one-year probation, suspended for three years.

He added: "The boys, neither of whom is yet 18, picked up the fragments in the Canada section of the camp.

"They co-operated fully with the authorities and admitted taking the items. They are deeply sorry for the offence they have caused."

They are said to have been found with spoons, buttons, glass and part of some hair clippers. The offence can be punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

The boys had been spotted acting suspiciously yesterday afternoon. Police were called when the find was made and they spent the night in cells at Oswiecim.

A spokeswoman at the foreign and commonwealth office said: "We are in contact with the Polish authorities and stand ready to provide consular assistance."

The Holocaust Educational Trust's chief exec Karen Pollock said the alleged theft was "absolutely shocking" and showed "gross disregard to the memory of the Holocaust".

She added: "Every single artefact found at Auschwitz-Birkenau tells a story of the more than a million people who were ruthlessly murdered by the Nazis there and this incident serves to show why our work is crucial now more than ever.

"We have a duty to educate the next generation to prevent ignorance and hate, and in over 15 years of organising for thousands of British teenagers to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau, we have never known of such an incident."

Visitors have tried to steal artefacts as souvenirs from the museum in the past.

In 2010, a Swedish man was jailed for organising the theft of the Arbeit Macht Frei (Work Makes You Free) sign from the entry gate of Auschwitz.

The Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum was founded in 1947 and has more than 80,000 British visitors each year.

Additional reporting by Press Association

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