A tourist drew international ire last month when he was recorded on video defacing the historic Colosseum in Rome, an amphitheater that has stood for almost 2,000 years.
Now, that tourist has issued a letter of apology.
In a video posted to social media on June 23, Ivan Danailov Dimitrov, 27, could be seen carving the phrase “Ivan+Hayley 23” into one of the Colosseum’s bricks. The video went viral and provoked outrage from both Italian officials and those who viewed the footage online.
Dimitrov’s identity had been withheld by authorities until his name was made public by his lawyer, who also shared Dimitrov’s apologetic letter with NBC News.
“I admit with deepest embarrassment that it was only after what regrettably happened that I learned of the antiquity of the monument,” he wrote in the letter addressed to Rome’s mayor, city council and city magistrates.
Dimitrov went on to write that he is “aware of the gravity of the act committed” and offered “my heartfelt apologies to the Italians and to the whole world for the damage done to an asset that is, in fact, the heritage of all humanity.”
“I am also aware that similar conduct in my country would have resulted in much more serious consequences,” he continued. “For this reason I accept all responsibility and will make sincere and concrete efforts to redeem myself and make up for the mistake I have made.”
“We have already made a plea bargain request. The boy will certainly take advantage of the suspended sentence,” Dimitrov’s attorney Alexandro Maria Tirelli told NBC News.
The penalties for vandalizing the Colosseum include fines up to $15,000 and five years in prison, according to The Associated Press.
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