Overview

• Judges convicted two of the five women on charges of degrading the cultural landscape but acquitted them of archaeological law violations due to lack of physical damage
• The performers were on a British-organized ‘pole dancing vacation’ and hired a professional photographer for the late-night shoot at the Palace of St. Michael and St. George
• Deputy Mayor for Culture insists a permit is required for professional photography on the palace grounds while the defendants’ lawyer argues the site is a public space with no such restrictions
• The UNESCO-listed palace, now the Corfu Museum of Asian Art, dates to the early 19th century and was designed by British architects under Lord High Commissioner Sir Thomas Maitland
• Municipality of Corfu and the Museum of Asian Art have filed legal claims over the incident as proceedings continue for the three remaining women