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LONDON — The British Museum, the leading tourist site in the UK, experienced a partial closure on Saturday following a break-in by a recently terminated employee, which resulted in the disruption of its computer systems. According to the management, the incident occurred on Thursday.
Located in the heart of London and attracting nearly 6 million visitors annually, the museum suspended its temporary exhibitions along with sections of its permanent collection due to the incident. In a statement released on Friday, the museum explained, “An IT contractor who was let go last week unlawfully entered the premises and disabled multiple systems.” The statement further noted that the police responded promptly, leading to the individual’s arrest at the location.
Officials from the Metropolitan Police reported that they were dispatched on Thursday night after receiving notifications about a man entering the British Museum and damaging the institution’s security and IT infrastructure. A man in his 50s was taken into custody on charges related to burglary and criminal damage, and has since been released on bail as investigations continue.
The historic institution, established 266 years ago, has been navigating through tumultuous times. It is currently working to identify over 1,800 items believed to have been pilfered by a former curator and put up for sale online. This curator, Peter Higgs, had been affiliated with the museum’s Greece and Rome department for three decades before his termination in July 2023, and legal action has been initiated against him, which he refutes.
In August 2023, museum director Hartwig Fischer resigned, acknowledging failing to adequately address indications that valuable artifacts—including gold jewelry, semi-precious stones, and antiques dating back to the 15th century B.C.—were being misappropriated from the museum’s collection and sold on eBay.
The British Museum, renowned for its vast array of global treasures, faces increasing calls to repatriate relics taken from various nations during the era of the British Empire. This includes the Parthenon Marbles, ancient sculptures that were taken from Athens by British diplomat Lord Elgin in the early 19th century. Greece has long sought the return of these marbles and, although the museum is legally restricted from returning them, discussions have occurred regarding possible compromise solutions such as a long-term loan.
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