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It seems that 4 divers were acquitted in District court, in part because of statute of limitations had run out on some charges, but now an Appeals court has convicted one - 3 to go...
Diver fined for shipwreck plunder
Diver fined for shipwreck plunder
The diver is one of four who took objects from a wreck that lies at a depth of some 40 meters off Finland's south coast.
The ship sank before 1850 near Kallbådagrund lighthouse. Image: Google
Helsinki Appeals Court has fined a diver for removing artefacts from a shipwreck.
On Friday the man was fined 3,200 euros as well as an additional 6,600 euros, calculated as his financial benefit based on the number of items taken from the wreck.
The thefts took place in 2011 near Kallbådagrund lighthouse, south of Porvoo. The court determined that the diver robbed the wreck of items including teacups, plates, bottles and glassware.
Under the Antiquities Act, shipwrecks are the property of the state if their owner is unknown or if they are more than a century old. This ship is believed to have been built in the 1700s and to have sunk before 1850.
Diver's "modern" claim not credible
The three-masted ship is 26 metres long and seven metres across. It lies at a depth of more than 40 meters.
The man claimed that he thought the items were modern. The court ruled that his account was not credible and that it should have been obvious that the ship was more than 100 years old.
A year ago, Eastern Uusimaa District Court had dismissed charges in the case. Three other men are also accused of taking objects from the shipwreck.
