A tourist that he was captured on video Defacing the wall of Rome’s Colosseum last month by carving a love note into it claims in a letter of apology that he did not know the nearly 2,000-year-old amphitheater was ancient.
The man, identified by his lawyer as 27-year-old Ivan Danailov Dimitrov, used a key to cut “Ivan + Hayley”. 23″ into a brick wall of the structure on June 23 in a move that sparked outrage on social media and from Italian officials.
In a letter dated Tuesday and shared with NBC News by his lawyer, Dimitrov wrote: “I admit with the deepest shame that I only learned about the antiquity of the monument after what unfortunately happened.”
The letter was addressed to the mayor of Rome, the City Council and magistrates of the city.
Dimitrov said he is “aware of the seriousness of the act committed” and extended “my sincere apologies to the Italians and the entire world for the damage caused to an asset that is, in fact, the heritage of all humanity.”
Although Dimitrov has not been publicly identified by Italian officials, the national police, the Carabinieri, said on June 29 that they are investigating and that the suspect and his partner live in England.
“I am also aware that similar conduct in my country would have had far more serious consequences,” Dimitrov wrote. “Therefore I accept all responsibility and will make sincere and concrete efforts to redeem myself and make up for the mistake I have made.”
Dimitrov said there is no “justification” for the “incivility, superficiality and lightness” of his actions. He closed the letter by saying he “hopes” his apology will be accepted.
His lawyer, Alexandro Maria Tirelli, told NBC News exclusively: “We have already made a plea deal. The boy will certainly take advantage of the suspended sentence.”
Tirelli described the act of defacement as heinous “but not serious.” He said the letter was mailed on Tuesday.
Prosecutors in Rome did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Rome’s mayor’s office said Thursday it had not received a letter.
Vandalizing the Colosseum carries fines of up to $15,000 and five years in prison, according to The Associated Press.
Italy’s Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano tweeted a video of the incident on June 26, calling it “very serious, undignified and a sign of great incivility.” He said he hoped the perpetrator would be “punished according to our laws”.
It is not the first time that tourists destroy the Colosseum.
In 2014, a Russian tourist was fined about $25,000 and given a four-year suspended sentence after writing the letter “K” on the wall of the Colosseum, tMt reported A year later, two American tourists were cited for aggravated damages after engraving their names on the Coliseum.
