British tourist apologizes for vandalizing Rome's Colosseum with love declaration for girlfriend
A British tourist who defaced Rome's Colosseum with his name and his girlfriend has publicly apologized, claiming he was unaware of the arena's age.
In a letter published in the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero on Wednesday, July 5, the man, identified as Ivan Dimitrov, addressed the letter to Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri and the Italians.
"I admit with deepest embarrassment that it was only after what regretfully happened that I learned of the antiquity of the monument," he said.
"Through these lines, I would like to address my heartfelt and honest apologies to the Italians and to the whole world for the damage caused to an asset which, in fact, is the heritage of all humanity," he added.
Dimitrov added that such conduct is also not condoned in his home country and that he will accept "make sincere and concrete efforts to redeem myself and make up for the mistake I have made.”
Reputo gravissimo, indegno e segno di grande inciviltà, che un turista sfregi uno dei luoghi più celebri al mondo, il Colosseo, per incidere il nome della sua fidanzata. Spero che chi ha compiuto questo gesto venga individuato e sanzionato secondo le nostre leggi. pic.twitter.com/p8Jss1GWuY
— Gennaro Sangiuliano (@g_sangiuliano) June 26, 2023
The tourist was caught on video using a key to engrave "Ivan+Hayley 23" onto the 2,000-year-old landmark's brick wall.
The incident gained international attention a month ago after the video showing the tourist committing the act went viral online.
Gennaro Sanguiliano, Rome's culture minister, shared the video on his personal Twitter on June 26 along with the caption: "I consider it very serious, unworthy, and a sign of great incivility that a tourist defaces one of the most famous places in the world, the Colosseum, to engrave the name of his fiancée. I hope that whoever did this will be identified and sanctioned according to our laws."
According to reports, Dimitrov is being investigated for causing damage to a cultural heritage asset. If found guilty, he could potentially receive a fine of between €2,500 (P121K) and €15,000 (P907K), along with a prison term of 2 to 5 years. His girlfriend, Hayley, is not under investigation, although there is a possibility that she could be viewed as an "accessory."