2024-10-08 21:48 update: 2024-10-08, 21:50
Photo PAP/Marcin Obara
Two female activists who poured orange paint over the Mermaid of Warsaw statue in March, have been charged with damaging a monument, a spokesman for prosecution has said.
Antoni Skiba, spokesperson for the District Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw, explained that the two women, Julia P. and Marianna J., whose names must be withheld under Polish law, acted jointly and in concert when on March 8 they damaged the monument and its surroundings by dousing them in orange paint. The mermaid is a symbol of the Polish capital and a listed monument.
Skiba added that the activists caused material loss totalling PLN 361,607 (EUR 83,932) resulting from the need to remove the tainted surface of the monument, which additionally left it exposed to the elements.
"The amount has been calculated based on the opinions issued by the Mazowieckie Province Conservator of Monuments and a stonemasonry expert, as well as the City of Warsaw's administrative unit responsible for the protection of the monument," Skiba said.
The two activists have denied the charges and refused to provide explanations. They are facing six months to eight years in prison. (PAP)
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