Southwark Jury Acquits Dutch National of Criminal Damage to Churchill Statue

Outis, 39, also known as Caspar San Giorgi, climbed the monument earlier in 2026 while wearing a Palestine Action boiler suit and applied washable paint including 'Zionist war criminal', 'Globalise the Intifada' and 'The Hague sends their regards'. Prosecutors documented £11970 initial damage estimate later revised to £6504 plus VAT for specialist cleaning and barriers. The jury accepted his defense that the act conveyed a political message and caused no permanent harm.

The verdict occurred against documented UK government statements calling the vandalism abhorrent and Churchill a figure who must be protected. Greater London Authority heritage records show rapid police response within two minutes and immediate restoration. Outis, a foreign national, stated in court he sought to link Starmer to The Hague proceedings and expressed intent for more actions if time allowed.

This outcome reveals a judicial threshold where temporary paint on a listed monument does not meet criminal damage criteria when framed as protest. Comparable cases involving other monuments have produced convictions when costs or permanence were established. The decision shifts enforcement costs to public budgets while signaling low deterrence for similar acts targeting symbolic state property.

No deportation proceedings have been initiated despite the activist's admission of traveling to the UK specifically to deface the statue. Future monitoring will center on whether Crown Prosecution Service guidance on heritage site protests is revised before the next fiscal year.