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An Israeli art student is in hot water after she admitted stealing artifacts from Auschwitz for a senior art project.

Rotem Bides, 27, a student at Beit Berl College in Kfar Saba, told the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper that she stole the objects, including glass shards and soup bowls, in the course of six trips to the camp. She defended her actions by saying that she was the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors.

“I felt that that this was something I have to do,” she told the Israeli newspaper. “Millions of people were murdered because of the moral laws of a particular country, under a particular regime. If these are the rules, I can come and act according to my rules.”

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After the news report, the Auschwitz museum vowed to pursue a criminal complaint against Bides, and Beit Berl College said it would stop displaying her artwork and put her through a disciplinary hearing.

“This is a painful and scandalous act. This is a protected site and proof of the tragedy of the Holocaust that needs to be preserved for future generations,” read a statement from the museum.

Contact Daniel J. Solomon at solomon@forward.com or on Twitter @DanielJSolomon

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