The British Museum is suing a former curator over the alleged theft of almost 2,000 items
By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press
LONDON (AP) — The British Museum is suing a former curator alleged to have stolen almost 2,000 artifacts from its collections and offered them for sale online. Peter Higgs was fired in July 2023 after more than 1,800 items were discovered to be missing. Lawyers for the museum say Higgs “abused his position of trust” to steal ancient gems, gold jewelry and other items. At a hearing on Tuesday, High Court judge Heather Williams ordered Higgs to list or return any items in his possession within four weeks. She also ordered the disclosure of his eBay and PayPal records. Higgs did not attend court due to poor health.