Italy moves to punish vandals of cultural heritage sites

Italy has become vulnerable as the acts of vandalism against monuments and cultural heritage in the Italian cities of art seem to have multiplied in recent years. January 23, 2017 was the latest affront: the victim was the Colosseum. Staff at the site had a shock to deal with, in the form of graffiti on one of the columns close to the entrance. During previous night, drunk tourists scaled a four meter gate in an attempt to enter the historic monument’s interior off hours – a stunt which left one of the pair with a fractured pelvis. Police charged the tourists with trespassing.

Culture Minister Dario Franceschini described this vandalism  as “an affront to a monument which is symbolic of global cultural heritage”. He called for harsher punishments for perpetrators. In late December 2016, the government approved a bill which would see punishments for cultural vandalism drastically increased, and Franceschini expressed hope that this would come into force soon.

The bill introduces a specific offense for defacing or damaging cultural heritage or landscapes, and increases the punishment from a minimum of one year to a maximum of five years imprisonment.

In addition to tougher punishments, would-be vandals will also have to reckon with a more advanced surveillance system. The superintendent for the Colosseum, Francesco Prosperetti, said he would work on new security measures with local police and army soldiers.

reference: http://www.thelocal.it/20170119/italy-steps-up-surveillance-and-punishments-for-monument-vandals

-Francesca Procopio