Italian police have identified a man from England as the suspected culprit behind an inscription carved into a wall of the Colosseum, after a four-day search.
A young man wearing a blue flowery shirt was filmed by an onlooker using a key to scratch his and his girlfriend’s name into an internal wall of the 2,000-year-old monument last Friday. If convicted, the suspect could face a hefty fine and prison term under Italy’s strict cultural heritage protection laws.
The video of the scene, titled “Asshole tourist carves name in Colosseum in Rome”, was uploaded on to YouTube before being widely shared across social media, eventually alerting police to the incident and sparking widespread condemnation.
Police have not named the suspect, although the inscription – “Ivan + Hayley 23” – provides them with a solid clue.
According to reports in the Italian press on Thursday, Ivan is a fitness instructor who lives in Bristol. Police will reportedly send a note to the suspect’s home address informing him that he is under investigation, after they spent the past few days sifting through photos and surveillance footage at the Colosseum. The woman is not under investigation, according to Il Messaggero.
If convicted, he faces a fine of at least €15,000 (£12,900) and a prison term of up to five years.
The Italian culture minister, Gennaro Sangiuliano, thanked police for identifying the alleged perpetrator of the “uncivilised and absurd act committed at the Colosseum”. “It was an act that offended those around the world who appreciate the value of archaeology, monuments and history,” he added. “Now I hope justice will take its course by rigorously applying the laws.”
It is not the first time the Colosseum has been defaced in recent years.
In September 2020, a 32-year-old man from Ireland was allegedly caught using a metal point to carve his initials into a pillar on the first level of the monument. He was arrested and charged with damaging a historical landmark.
A German girl of 14 was allegedly caught doing the same thing a month later.
