Head of Rome's Jewish community trapped inside Auschwitz overnight following tour

Riccardo Pacifici said that they were treated as criminals after they were caught escaping from the former concentration camp.

17:55 29 January 2015

The head of Rome’s Jewish community was accidentally locked inside Auschwitz's camp this week, before spending an hour outside in freezing conditions and getting arrested by the police. 

 

Riccardo Pacifici was doing a television interview to mark the 70th anniversary of the camp’s liberation when he was locked outside together with Jewish community spokesman Fabio Perugia, and two technicians. 

 

The group spent an hour outside in freezing conditions before they set off an alarm to alert someone of their predicament. When they tried to escape through an open window, they were arrested by the museum guards and several Polish police officers despite having had a prior agreement to be on the site. The group was interrogated until 2.30am. 

 

Community spokesman Mr Perugia Told Haaretz: "They arrested us and treated us roughly as though we were criminals. 

 

"More and more police were summoned until there were some 12 officers who held us in the camp."

 

The group was released six hours later. 

 

Mr Pacifici described the incident as “madness” and “shameful”.