French policewoman carves her name into Colosseum

The engraving writes 'Sabrina 2017'

  ROME -- A French traffic warden carved her name into one of the Eternal City’s historic treasures, the Colosseum, etching ‘Sabrina 2017’ into one of the pillars before being reported to the Carabinieri and arrested for damage to a building of historical and artistic interest, police sources say Monday.

 

 The vandalisation was done to the base of an arch near the entrance for visitors on Sunday afternoon.

 

 The graffiti comes a few weeks after two other episodes of violation and damage to the Flavian amphitheatre; in the space of 24 hours in mid-January, two drunk Brazilian tourists attempted to climb the structure (and fell), just as the following day the words ‘Death’ and ‘Balto’ were found scrawled onto two marble pillars.

 

 Such incidents have prompted tougher security measures for the gem of the Italian capital, including more lighting and video surveillance cameras as well as alarms and more armed guards.

 

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