Two British teenagers on a school trip who were suspected of stealing items that belonged to prisoners at Auschwitz are likely to be fined and released in the next 48 hours, Polish police said.
The 17-year-old boys were spotted acting suspiciously on Monday afternoon at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in southern Poland, and are being held at the police headquarters in Oswiecim
The offence is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, but the police spokesman said they may go home “today or tomorrow” after paying a fine.
The pair were found with a fragment of hair clippers, spoons, some buttons and two pieces of glass after they were apprehended in warehouse number five – known as Canada – where the belongings of the Auschwitz arrivals were seized during the Holocaust.
Polish police said they were arrested for carrying out activities related to the misappropriation of objects that represent special cultural importance, to the detriment of the museum.
A spokeswoman at the British 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 executive, Karen Pollock, said: "This is absolutely shocking and shows gross disregard to the memory of the Holocaust. 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. We would gladly work with these young boys to ensure they understand the implications of their actions although this is now a matter for the police.”
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. PA