• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Brit who 'carved girlfriend's name' into Rome's Colosseum begs for forgiveness as he faces up to five years in jail

Home> News

Updated 08:19 3 Jul 2023 GMT+1Published 08:18 3 Jul 2023 GMT+1

Brit who 'carved girlfriend's name' into Rome's Colosseum begs for forgiveness as he faces up to five years in jail

Footage of the incident went viral online

Kit Roberts

Kit Roberts

A man accused of carving his girlfriend's name into the Colosseum has begged for forgiveness.

Ivan Dimitrov had been on a trip to the Eternal City when he allegedly carved his and his girlfriend's names into the nearly 2,000 year old roman structure.

A video showed someone carving their and their partner's name into the monument.
YouTube/rytz5873

A video posted to social media went viral, with many people outraged by the alleged act of vandalism. The video was titled 'A*****e tourist carves name in Colosseum in Rome 6-23-23', and received around 300,000 views online.

Advert

He could face a fine of up to €15,000 (£12,850), or as many as five years in jail, because the Colosseum is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Carabinieri later tracked the pair down in Bulgaria and identified them, and once they had spoken to Dimitrov, said that he expressed 'sincere remorse' for his alleged actions.

Major Roberto Martina of the Carabinieri said: “He told us he was very upset by what he had done, and he kept apologising for it,” Mr Martina told Mail Online.

“I think he was worried about the consequences of any trial and we explained that he could be jailed for between two and five years and be fined up to 15,000 Euro.”

He added: “He had contacted us after we secured his mobile telephone from hotel records and left a message for him to call us. He was naturally worried about the legal implications, and these were all explained to him.

Advert

The tourist has since apologised, but could be facing jail time.

“We didn’t ask him why he did it, that will be for a judge to hear, we just told him that he was a suspect and was part of the

investigation."

They also clarified that Ms Hayley Bracey, the woman whose name Dimitrov carved in the historic building, 'is not part of any complaint so is an innocent party as far as we are concerned'.

Italian Minister of Culture, Gennaro Sangiuliano, said: "This act was offensive to everyone around the world who appreciates the value of archaeology, monuments and history.

Advert

"I am grateful to the Carabinieri for having swiftly identified the person who is alleged to be responsible for this act,

uncivilised as it was absurd, which was committed at the Colosseum.

"‌I hope that the justice system will now run its course and rigorously apply the law. Those who cause damage will pay."

This graffiti is actually just the latest in a very long line of people carving their names into old buildings. The Abu Simbel temple complex in Egypt features graffiti carved by Victorian tourists. French novelist Gustav Flaubert even expressed his irritation at 'the number of imbeciles names written everywhere', when he visited.

It seems people leaving graffiti and others getting annoyed is a tale as old as the monuments themselves.

Featured Image Credit: YouTube/rytz5873

Topics: News, UK News, World News, Viral

Kit Roberts
Kit Roberts

Kit joined LADbible Group in 2023 as a community journalist. They previously worked for StokeonTrentLive, the Daily Mirror, and the Daily Star.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

a minute ago
12 mins ago
an hour ago
  • a minute ago

    Donald Trump has been diagnosed with chronic condition after swelling discovered on his legs

    Being President of the USA isn't an easy job...

    News
  • 12 mins ago

    Daredevil Felix Baumgartner who jumped from space in famous Red Bull stunt dies in horror paragliding crash

    Felix Baumgartner died in a paragliding accident in Porto Sant’Elpidio, Italy

    News

    breaking

  • an hour ago

    Man 'waited three hours and was charged $15k' for support as wife suffered fatal heart attack on cruise

    Royal Caribbean has since issued a statement on the tragedy

    News
  • an hour ago

    Mum 'almost killed by boob job' after doctors discovered rare type of cancer linked to her scandal-hit brand of implant

    The mum-of-two woke up one day to discover one of her breasts had doubled in size

    News
  • Brit who 'carved girlfriend's name' into Rome's Colosseum now facing up to five years in jail
  • Brit issues major warning after suffering second-degree burns when jewellery turned into ‘laser beam’
  • Major issue man who has spent 25 years walking across the world faces to cross Channel back into UK
  • British grandmother who has spent 12 years on death row made telling act in ‘hope she will be released’