Four men have been criminally charged by the Crown Prosecution Service, following the announcement made several months ago by British law enforcement regarding a major breakthrough in the 2019 theft of Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan’s golden toilet sculpture, as reported by the New York Times.
In 2019, Cattelan’s sculpture weighing 200 pounds and worth an estimated $6 million was stolen from a wood-paneled bathroom at Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of former UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill. The sculpture was titled “America”. The theft, allegedly carried out by seven individuals, caused extensive water damage. While one person was arrested at the time, no charges were filed against anyone for the crime.
However, recently, The Crown Prosecution Service announced that four men had been charged with burglary, transferring criminal property, and conspiracy to transfer criminal property.
Though some of the men behind the burglary might soon feel the swift flush of justice, authorities are doubtful that the sculpture itself will ever be returned. Matthew Barber, a police and crime commissioner for the Thames Valley, told the BBC in 2021 that “recovering the toilet would be a challenge … If you have that large amount of gold, I think it seems likely that someone has already managed to dispose of it one way or another. It would be great if we can recover it and return it but personally, I’m not convinced it’s still in quite the same form it was.”
The sculpture was first shown at the Guggenheim in 2016, and visitors were offered the chance to “visit” the fully functioning privy, which was installed in one of the institution’s restrooms. In September 2019, it was moved to Blenheim Palace which was to host an exhibition of Cattelan’s work.
It was reported, when Cattelan heard about the heist he said “Who’s so stupid to steal a toilet?”
