Video: Swiss teen caught vandalising Colosseum, weeks after British tourist did the same

Weeks after a British tourist was caught defacing the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, another tourist has dared to repeat the same mistake. The Italian police have launched an investigation following the surfacing of a video where a teenage girl from Switzerland can be seen carving the letter "N" into a wall of the 2,000-year-old monument.

The girl was captured carving her calligraphy skills by a tourist guide who immediately called security at the site. David Battaglino, the tour guide said he had been showing a group around when someone directed his attention to the girl.

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"After a few seconds, my group applauded me. To her, in English, I said, ‘Do you want applause?’ The young girl understood that she had ended up in the crosshairs of those who protect art and turned away to go toward her family," Battaglino told the Italian newspaper La Republica.

After the incident, Battaglino approached the girl's parents about what their daughter had done. However, the parents told him: "She's just a little girl, she wasn't doing anything wrong."

The video of the incident has since gone viral on social media with users questioning the girl and her actions.

"Second person caught defacing the Colosseum in only a matter of a few weeks. What is wrong with people!" said one netizen, while another added, "I don’t think she should go to prison. But she should have a fine and also Community service."

A CNN report claimed that a day after the incident, a 17-year-old student from Germany was also caught doing something similar. Both teenagers risk a fine of up to €15,000 ($16,850) and up to five years in jail.

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Man defaces Colosseum

This is the same punishment that a tourist from Britain potentially faces after he became the subject of international ridicule. 27-year-old Ivan Dimitrov was caught carving his and his girlfriend's name on one of the walls of the monument.

After being caught, Dimitrov said he was unaware of the antiquity of the ancient monument. In a letter addressed to the Italian authorities, Dimitrov said only now did he realise “the seriousness of the deed committed”.

“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 stated in the letter.

(With inputs from agencies)

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