British Museum sues former curator over theft of 1,800 artefacts

The British Museum has filed a lawsuit against its employee Peter Higgs. The case concerns a scandal that erupted in August of last year when it was revealed that 1,800 artefacts had disappeared from the museum or had been damaged.

Higgs, who was a curator and an expert on ancient Greek art, has been accused of stealing or destroying at least 1,800 items from the museum’s collection. Among them were ancient coins, jewellery, and gems. He was fired in July 2023, when the case came to light.

Judge Heather Williams on Tuesday instructed Higgs to disclose all information about those items. She also demanded the release of the former curator's account information on the eBay auction site and PayPal payment system, which - according to the museum - he was using to sell the antiquities online.

Daniel Burgess, a lawyer representing the British Museum, emphasised that they have evidence that Higgs sold stolen items from the museum for over 10 years. According to him, Higgs sold them to at least 45 buyers worldwide, and he covered up his activities using false names, forging documents, and manipulating museum records.

So far, the museum has recovered 356 artefacts, but the case is still under investigation by the police. No formal charges have been brought against Higgs yet.

Higgs had worked at the British Museum for over two decades, and since 2021, he had been serving as the head of the department of ancient Greek and Roman art. The man denies all the charges and intends to defend himself against the museum's accusations. Due to health issues, he was not present at the hearing on Tuesday.

The British Museum is among the most significant and most visited museums in the world. Following the exposure of the missing artefacts case in August last year, the institution's director, Hartwig Fischer, resigned from his position.