This Is Italy
It is a big problem for Italy. Vandals who break into and destroy cultural heritage. And Italy has quite a few of those. Prevention is difficult and costs a lot of money. But there is a plan.
Just last week, the Colosseum in Rome was broken into. Two drunken tourists climbed a fence. The exterior of the Roman stadium was also defaced again.
High penalties for vandals
The plans to fight back against the vandals in Rome consist of high-tech surveillance equipment and heavy penalties for vandals. There is already a lot of security personnel around the Colosseum, because of the increased terrorist threat. But at night security is scaled back for financial reasons and that's the time when vandals mostly strike.
In December, the Italian government passed a law that greatly increases penalties for 'cultural vandalism'. The law refers to a specific crime against cultural heritage or cultural landscapes. The minimum sentence is increased to one year in prison and a maximum of five years in prison.
High fines
Judges in Italy have previously punished vandals with large fines. Last year, for example, a Russian tourist was fined €20.000 for scratching a large letter K into one of the Colosseum's pillars.
The surveillance cameras have also received a technical update. They now detect every human movement, but recognize birds and stray cats. That way the alarm doesn't always go off for nothing.
Source: thelocal.it, image: YouTube
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