Two US soldiers face fine and jail sentence after graffitiing Italian monument

31 July 2023 , 19:47

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American soldiers 29 and 23, were captured after being identified after being spotted on CCTV (Image: Newsflash)

Two US soldiers are facing jail sentences and a hefty fine after graffitiing a 15th-century Italian monument.

The two suspects, named only as A.J. Jr., 29, and B.M.E., 23, are accused of spray painting on the Palladian Basilica in Vicenza, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Both suspects are reportedly stationed at the Del Din US military base, formally known as Caserma Ederle (Camp Ederle).

Authorities searching for the culprits reportedly found one of the soldiers in possession of red paint having identified them from CCTV - with both reportedly admitting to graffitiing the building on Sunday, July 23, at 2.19am. They now face a fine of up to $11,000 and a jail sentence.

An image shows Mayor Giacomo Possamai and Deputy Commander of the police Nives Pillan standing in front of the pillar. Pillan is also seen in another photo holding up the bottle of red paint that was used for the shocking act.

Graffiti on the Palladian Basilica in Vicenza, Italy (Newsflash)

A statement from the City of Vicenza on Saturday, obtained by Newsflash, said: "Those who, one week ago, during the night between Saturday and Sunday, defaced the column of the Palladian Basilica at the corner between Piazza dei Signori and Piazzetta Palladio have been identified. They are two males of American nationality serving at the Del Din military base, A.J. Jr., 29 years old, and B.M.E., 23 years old."

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Mayor Possamai added: "I want to, first of all, thank the Local Police and the Carabinieri of the Setaf for identifying the two individuals responsible for defacing the column of the Basilica. It was a vile and serious act that we condemned from the outset.'

"In just a few days, we managed to identify the culprits, two servicemen from the American Del Din base, who admitted to being present in the square and being the authors of this deplorable act, particularly one of the two.

"They are therefore guilty of a criminal offence. Furthermore, we will request compensation for the city through activities to be defined in cooperation with the American base.", reports the Mail. It comes just weeks after a man, who claimed that he didn't realise the historical significance of the Roman Colosseum wall, before carving his and his partner's name into it with a key. Fitness instructor Ivan Dimitrov, 27, was caught red-handed by an American tourist, who filmed the ordeal, as he scrawled his and 33-year-old Hayley Bracey's name into the wall.

A police officer shows the implement used to scrawl on the column (Newsflash)

After being caught and seeing the reaction, Ivan felt compelled to write an apology note, but it's been slammed by authorities, who have referred to it as "nonsense."

The bystander who filmed the tourist as he carved the names into the stone walls of the 1,937-year-old building, claimed that he used a set of keys. Ivan, who lives in Bristol, has been criticised for his apology letter, with one official at Rome city council reportedly saying: "What nonsense and what a surreal letter. What level of education does this man have not to know the significance of the Colosseum?

"It's just an attempt to pacify - and if he was so concerned why take almost two weeks to write? Why didn't he apologise sooner? He must have known what he did as it was all over the world's media."

Abigail O'Leary