Crimes against cultural heritage: bill passed in the House

A bill containing provisions on crimes against cultural heritage, proposed on a government initiative by Ministers Dario Franceschini (cultural heritage) and Andrea Orlando (justice), was approved in the Chamber of Deputies on June 22 and passed in the Senate, even though the toughening of penalties for crimes against heritage has been talked about since at least 2011. The text provides for a series of amendments to the Criminal Code by introducing the crimes of theft of cultural property, misappropriation of cultural property, receiving of cultural property, laundering of cultural property, unlawful possession of cultural property, and violations regarding the alienation of cultural property, unlawful exit or export of cultural property, damage, defacement, defacement and unlawful use of cultural or landscape property, culpable damage, defacement and defacement of cultural or landscape property, devastation and looting of cultural property, and forgery of works of art. Moreover, very harsh penalties are provided for: theft, for example, is punished with imprisonment from two to eight years, and receiving stolen goods from three to 12 years. Still, the bill stipulates that law enforcement officers in the field of cultural property will be equipped with additional tools to aid their activities, such as undercover operations and covert websites.

“Thanks also to the changes introduced during the debate in the parliamentary committees,” said Minister Dario Franceschini, “this reform introduces effective and modern tools to combat crimes against cultural heritage. It is a very important measure, not only for Italy, but for the entire international community that, starting from the UN to the G7 Culture in Florence, increasingly identifies the protection of cultural heritage as a priority. With these new regulations, Italy is at the forefront in the world.”

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Crimes against cultural heritage: bill passed in the House

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