Crime And Punishment - Easter Island Style
Finnish tourist gets punishment after vandalizing Easter Island statue
HELSINKI - A Finnish tourist who vandalized a Moai statue on Easter Island was fined about 10,000 euros (15,700 U.S. dollars) and banned from entering the island for three years by a Chilean court, the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper reported on Monday.
The 26-year-old Finnish man was also compelled to make a public apology for his action in front of the court, said the newspaper.
The Chilean Office for the Protection of National Monuments thought that the punishment was excessively lenient, said it. But the Finnish newspaper said the fine was the biggest that the local Chilean court has ever imposed for a similar offense.
"The Finnish tourist should have been given a prison sentence. It would have been a warning to other travelers", the newspaper quoted the director of the office, Oscar Acuna as saying.
The young man broke off a piece of the ear of a protected Moai statue on Easter Island last month. He was later arrested by local Chilean police.
xinhuanet.com
Comments
This fool, described as hight octan(e) etc - if that is an excuse -has not just as Pauli Ojala wishes, vandalized one of 400 statues or so, he has vandalised on of the Anakena statues, the most beautiful and complete group of statues on the island.
Even even he only wanted to climb it, stop: who in his right mind want to climb such a statue. I agree: a prison term should have been imposed. The fine is far too lenient.And there is no excuse.
Even for hikers.
The group of statues shown by this webnews, by the way, is not the Anakena group, whichs only shows how poorly the media research their news.
I noticed he is wearing a crucifix. Is this yet another example of some sort of Christian arrogance? Does he think he owns the earth and everything on it?
This tourist appears to be OLD ENOUGH AND INTELLIGENT ENOUGH to know better. He said, it was the worst mistake of his life. NO, HE DIDN'T THINK HE WOuLD CAUGHT, OR HIS MONEY WOULD GET HIM OUT OF IT. So big deal, he is not to return for 3 tears. I'm sure he is shedding a tear. His punishment should have been A THREE YEAR PRISON TERM AND NEVER TO RETURN TO EASTER ISLAND, WITH A LABEL ON HIS PASSPORT THAT HE IS A VANDALIZER.
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