The tourist who recorded his name and that of his girlfriend two weeks ago on the interior walls of the Colosseum has written a letter apologizing for what happened. In his letter, the man claims to be “aware of the seriousness of what he did” and apologizes “to the Italians and the whole world for the damage caused to a property that, in fact, is a heritage of humanity”, according to it was collected by the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero.
In this letter, the author especially avoids the mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, who with “dedication, care and sacrifice guard the inestimable historical and artistic value of the Colosseum”. At the same time, he acknowledges with “deep shame that it was after what happened when he learned of the antiquity of the monument.”
The tourist’s lawyer has stated that “it seems essential to make his client understand the moral value of a letter of apology to the Italian community and the city’s institutions.” And he also affirms that he hopes that “on this basis, an agreement can be reached with the prosecutor for the application of a contained and fair sentence.”
The tourist, of Bulgarian origin living in the United Kingdom, wrote on one of the walls of the Coliseum “Ivan Haley 23” with the use of a key. The protagonists are a fitness instructor, Ivan Dimitrov, 27, and a sports nutritionist, Haley Bracey, 33. The act was recorded by another tourist from the US, Californian Ryan Lutz, who filmed what happened and published the video on YouTube and Reddit.
After the video was broadcast on social networks, the Colosseum Archaeological Park filed a complaint for deteriorating cultural heritage and violating the regulations of the urban police. According to the Ansa agency, they may face a fine of up to 15,000 euros, up to five years in jail and a ban on entering the Coliseum.
The Italian Minister of Culture, Gennaro Sangiuliano, published a message on his social networks where he urged the justice to investigate what happened and affirmed that his ministry would be a civil party if a trial were held.
The tourist is already being investigated by the Rome prosecutor for damaging cultural property. The man had already returned to his place of residence in the United Kingdom, where he was located and is being monitored pending trial.
