German teen caught scratching wall in Rome's Colosseum

ROME - Once again a wall in the famous Colosseum in Rome has been scratched, this time by a young male German tourist, German news agency (dpa) quoted local media reports.

The 17-year-old allegedly scratched the brickwork inside the amphitheatre, which is popular with tourists in the heart of the Italian capital on Saturday evening, the ANSA news agency reported on Sunday.

According to the report, he was a student from Germany. After scratching a wall on the ground floor of the monument, he was apprehended by security personnel, accompanied by a teacher. The Carabinieri then reported him to the police.

This is now the third case within a few weeks of tourists allegedly scratching the masonry inside the Colosseum. They all now face hefty fines.

A few years ago, a Russian tourist who scratched a wall in the Colosseum had to pay a fine of €20,000 (US$22,442).

Last Friday, a young female Swiss tourist was caught scratching the first letter of her name on the wall. The Italian police were able to identify the 17-year-old, the media reported on Sunday.

At the end of June, the first case caused outrage in Italy and also beyond the country's borders after a young man from England scratched his name and that of his girlfriend into a wall. After the criticism, the man, 31, apologised with a curious excuse - he said he had not known how ancient the monument was.

The Roman landmark, which is about 2,000 years old, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy and is considered the symbol of the Eternal City. - Bernama