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Dutch police handout photo of Pablo Picasso's 'Tete d'Arlequin,' one of the paintings stolen in a daring art heist in the Netherlands. This particular artwork may have been incinerated by the mother of the perpetrator, in an effort to destroy incriminating evidence.

Woman recants confession re: burned art; museum skeptical

Catherine Saunders-Watson
Catherine Saunders-Watson

Dutch police handout photo of Pablo Picasso's 'Tete d'Arlequin,' one of several stolen paintings allegedly incinerated by a woman in Romania.
Dutch police handout photo of Pablo Picasso’s ‘Tete d’Arlequin,’ one of several stolen paintings allegedly incinerated by a woman in Romania.
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) – The mother of a man charged with stealing works by Picasso, Monet and Matisse has apparently backtracked on a confession that she burned the paintings in order to protect her son.

Olga Dogaru told a Bucharest court Monday that she did not burn the paintings in her stove, contradicting earlier statements, news agencies reported. The court was ruling on whether to keep her under arrest. Her lawyer, Catalin Dancu, said in televised statements that he did not believe that the paintings — stolen in a daring heist in the Netherlands — were burned. He could not be reached for comment.

Ernest Oberlander-Tarnoveanu, director of Romania’s National History Museum told The Associated Press that he did not believe Dogaru’s latest reported comments, saying museum scientists found “a large amount of paint, canvas and nails” in ash from Dogaru’s stove.

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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Dutch police handout photo of Pablo Picasso's 'Tete d'Arlequin,' one of several stolen paintings allegedly incinerated by a woman in Romania.
Dutch police handout photo of Pablo Picasso’s ‘Tete d’Arlequin,’ one of several stolen paintings allegedly incinerated by a woman in Romania.