Shortly after a British tourist defaced Rome's Colosseum, a Swiss teenager is under investigation for a similar act of vandalism. Italian authorities are looking into the incident, which involves the teen carving the letter "N" into a wall of the almost 2,000-year-old amphitheater. This act was captured on video and shared by Italian news agency ANSA.
The video shows the girl, her face blurred, with the sound of clapping in the background. Tour guide David Battaglino, who filmed the incident, told the newspaper La Republica that he was leading a tour when someone pointed out the girl's actions. He confronted the teen, who then returned to her family. When Battaglino spoke to the girl’s parents, they reportedly dismissed the incident, saying, "She’s just a little girl, she wasn’t doing anything wrong." The family was subsequently taken to police headquarters for questioning.
This incident follows closely on the heels of another act of vandalism involving a British tourist, Danailov Dimitrov, who carved his and his fiancée’s names into the Colosseum. Dimitrov later issued a public apology for damaging the historical landmark. Although the section of wall Dimitrov defaced was part of a 19th-century restoration, the act sparked widespread condemnation. This latest incident marks the fourth reported instance of graffiti at the Colosseum this year.
The Colosseum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was originally constructed in 72 AD and completed in 80 AD under Emperor Titus. It has faced ongoing challenges with vandalism over the years.
