Swiss Tourist Faces Fine of Up to €15,000 and Up to 5 Years in Prison for Graffiti on the Colosseum

Italian law enforcement authorities are investigating a case involving a 17-year-old Swiss citizen. She is suspected of vandalism for scratching her initials on the walls of the Colosseum in Rome. Local newspaper Repubblica Roma reported the incident.

The girl carved the letter "N" on one of the brick columns. She only stopped her actions after a tour guide captured it on video. After being confronted, the young woman appeared surprised, smiled, and walked away to join her parents, realizing that she had drawn the attention of those who safeguard this artistic heritage.

"This is the first time we managed to catch an act of vandalism at the Colosseum, but in six years, I have seen dozens of them, with some tourists even breaking off pieces of the wall. Once someone even spat at me because I scolded a young man," said guide David Battalino.

The tour guide followed the girl and eventually found her parents. He informed them about what she had done. The adults expressed their annoyance through gestures and replied, "She's just a child; she didn't do anything wrong."

Battalino took a photo of the family and collected all the evidence before reporting the incident to the police. The parents and their daughter were brought to a police station in Venice Square, Rome, for questioning. The girl could face a fine of up to €15,000 (approximately 620,000 Ukrainian hryvnias) and imprisonment ranging from two to five years.

This is not an isolated incident of tourists defacing or drawing on the walls of the Colosseum. Recently, a tourist from England named Ivan Haley carved his own and his fiancée's name (Ivan + Haley 23) on the Colosseum.

Subsequently, he apologized to the Mayor of Rome, stating that he was unaware of the historical significance of the monument. Ivan Dimitrov, residing in Bristol, made this comment in a letter of apology to Mayor Roberto Gualtieri, acknowledging the seriousness of his actions.

"With these words, I would like to offer my sincere apologies to Italians and the whole world for the damage caused to a monument that is a heritage of all humanity," Dimitrov added in the letter.

Investigations are currently underway regarding this tourist as well, and he faces similar consequences to the Swiss girl, with fines ranging from €2,500 to €15,000 and imprisonment for a period of two to five years.

The Colosseum is an ancient Roman architectural landmark, one of the grandest and most renowned structures of the ancient world.