Cultural Property Crime

In Cultural Property Crime various experts in the fields of criminology, art law, heritage studies, law enforcement, forensic psychology, archaeology, art history and journalism provide multidisciplinary perspectives on today’s concept of cultural property crime, including art crime. In addition, the volume deals with international, legal and practical developments regarding the increasing criminalization of acts against cultural property in times of conflict. Attention is paid to the changing status and fluctuating appraisal of cultural property as subject to classical art crimes generally in peacetime and as an identity-related symbolic target during conflict. The book covers a wide range of topics such as forgeries, white-collar crime, archaeological looting and the impact of war on cultural heritage.

The theft, trafficking, and falsification of cultural property and cultural heritage objects are crimes of a particularly complex nature, which often have international ramifications and significant economic consequences. Organized criminal groups of various types and origins are involved in these illegal acts. The book Crime in the Art and Antiquities World has contributions both from researchers specializing in the illegal trafficking of art, and representatives of international institutions involved with prevention and detection of cultural property-related crimes, such as Interpol and UNESCO. This work is a unique and useful reference for scholars and private and public bodies alike. This innovative volume also includes an Appendix of the existing legal texts, i.e. international treaties, conventions, and resolutions, which have not previously been available in a single volume. As anyone who has undertaken research or study relating to the protection of cultural heritage discovers one of the frustrations encountered is the absence of ready access to the multi- various international instruments which exist in the field. Since the end of the Second World War these instruments have proliferated, first in response to increasing recognition of the need for concerted multinational action to give better protection to cultural property during armed conflict as well as ensuring the repatriation of cultural property looted during such conflict. Thus the international community agreed in 1954 upon a Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. That Convention, typically referred to as the Hague Convention of 1954, is now to be found reproduced in the Appendix to this book (Appendix I) together with 25 other important and diverse documents that we believe represent a core of the essential international sources of reference in this subject area. In presenting these documents in one place we hope that readers will now experience less frustration while having the benefit of supplementing their understanding and interpretation of the various instruments by referring to individual chapters in the book dealing with a particular issue or topic. For example, Chapter 9 by Mathew Bogdanos provides some specific and at times rather depressing descriptions of the application in the field of the Hague Convention 1954, and its Protocols (Appendices II and III), to the armed conflict in Iraq. Reference may also be had to the resolution of the UN Security Council in May 2003 (Appendix VI) urging Member States to take appropriate steps to facilitate the safe return of looted Iraqi cultural property taken from the Iraq National Museum, the National Library and other locations in Iraq. Despite such pleas the international antiquities market seems to have continued to trade such looted property in a largely unfettered manner, as demonstrated by Neil Brodie in Chapter 7. Fittingly, as referred to in the Preface to this book, the last document contained in the Appendix (Appendix 26) is the “Charter of Courmayeur”, formulated at a ground breaking international workshop on the protection of cultural property conducted by the International Scientific and Professional Advisory Council (ISPAC) to the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Program in Courmayeur, Italy, in June 1992. The Charter makes mention of many of the instruments contained in the Appendix while also foreshadowing many of the developments which have taken place in the ensuing two decades designed to combat illicit trafficking in cultural property through international collaboration and action in the arena of crime prevention and criminal justice.

This book provides transnational insight into cultural property crimes and the cutting-edge work tackling issues ranging from currency crimes to innovative research methods. The volume brings together authors from a number of fields to address contemporary issues and advances in the fight against cultural property crime. It combines the perspectives of law enforcement officials, researchers, journalists, lawyers, and scholars, with specialities in the disciplines of criminology, law, archaeology, museum studies, political science, and economics, from countries all around the globe. This allows for a more comprehensive examination of issues facing these professionals and highlights similarities between the challenges encountered in different disciplines as well as in diverse locations. It seeks to disseminate the most current work in this field from a broad array of viewpoints in order to further facilitate an exchange of ideas and lay the groundwork to inspire future collaborations. Most significantly, it provides more specific suggestions for moving forward that could help assist stakeholders to connect and work directly with each other, despite international borders and discipline-related boundaries. The book will be a valuable resource for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers working in the area of cultural property crime.

This book explores innovative approaches to using and operating within and around both criminal law and civil law in the detection, investigation, and restitution of illicit cultural property. The volume brings together a wide range of authors who research and work in combatting cultural property crime. It explores the normative tensions and intersections between civil and criminal law and where they complement each other in the field. It focuses on innovative legal solutions to the unique challenges presented when facing a transnational form of crime that must consider varying structures of law and order, as well as a deep understanding of the heritage in question, both in past and the present cultures. The collection examines what both areas of law contribute to preventing cultural property crime from occurring, holding offenders responsible before the law, and returning objects to their rightful owners and/or places of origin. Combining the perspectives of academics and practitioners, the volume highlights voices from around the globe, using this range of experience to explore new ideas and applications of legal theory and practice to cases involving cultural property crimes. The book will be of interest to academics and practitioners in cultural property crime in the fields of criminology, law, archaeology, museum studies, political science, economics, and law enforcement.

In Prosecuting the Destruction of Cultural Property in International Criminal Law Caroline Ehlert offers an analysis of treaty law protecting cultural property from destruction and foremost of the relevant provisions for prosecuting the destruction of cultural property in international criminal law. The wanton destruction of valuable cultural property during armed conflict as well as during peacetime is omnipresent. Therefore it is of the utmost importance to provide for provisions criminalising the destruction of cultural property and offering a basis for the prosecution of possible perpetrators.

Of International Stolen Art Databases P.95

When compared to terrorism, drugs and violent crimes that occupy the news today art is not considered as important. But, as it turns out, art and cultural crime is currently ranked as the third-largest criminal enterprise in the world. What exactly is art crime? Why does art matter? And what is law enforcement doing to prevent this crime today? Due to the misleading portrayal of art crime in the entertainment industry people have the flawed belief that art and cultural crime doesn’t damage anyone in a direct way. And the truth of the matter is that this crime results in the loss of billions of dollars annually. Art and cultural crime is not simply focused on museums or private displays, the loss of art directly affects our cultural identity and history. Napoleon moved from one region to the next collecting art and sending as much as possible back to France. The Nazis looted cultural property from every territory they occupied. And there have been various cases of ISIL and ISIS destroying archaeological sites as a method of destroying any evidence of past culture or history that disagree with their own. With the United States being the largest market for both legal and illicit artwork in the world more preventative attention from law enforcement and security is needed for our country to meet international standards and end detrimental art crimes. In Stealing History, Colleen Clarke and Eli J. Szydlo look at the history behind art crime, how these crimes have grown over the last half century, and what law enforcement has been involved in protecting the world from these crimes.