Rome – Italian officials said they will drop a civil lawsuit in the trial of the J. Paul Getty Museum’s former curator after the Los Angeles institution signed a deal Tuesday to return 40 contested artifacts.
Lawyers will withdraw the civil suit when the 2-year-old trial of Marion True resumes today. But officials said dropping civil charges will not stop criminal proceedings against True, accused of knowingly acquiring ancient treasures stolen or unearthed illegally and smuggled out of the country.
True denies wrongdoing, and top government lawyer Maurizio Fiorilli said the deal signed Tuesday could work in her favor.
“True’s position is certainly less serious. … In this case, returning the artifacts can be considered an extenuating circumstance,” Fiorilli said.
Fiorilli said the civil lawsuit against a co-defendant, American art dealer Robert Hecht, remains because the charges against Hecht include the alleged sale of other objects on the international market. Hecht also denies wrongdoing.
Getty director Michael Brand said he hopes the agreement, reached last month after a year of negotiations, will put an end to the trial, part of a campaign against the illegal-antiquities market.
