British Museum's Reputation Damaged: Decades to Recover Stolen Treasures

The British Museum is facing serious damage to its reputation after the unexplained disappearance of around 2,000 items from its collection, leading to the resignation of director Hartwig Fischer. The missing artefacts have been reportedly sold on platforms like eBay, raising concerns about the museum's security. The museum has launched an inquiry and the police are investigating the matter. The incident has renewed calls for the return of objects like the Parthenon marbles and Benin bronzes to their countries of origin. Recovering the missing items may take decades due to legal and forensic complexities, and the museum's lax cataloguing system has been criticized. Art recovery experts have offered their assistance in locating and reclaiming the stolen objects.