By Tim Binnall
Authorities in Italy are investigating a shocking incident in which a tourist visiting Pompeii scrambled to the top of some ruins in order to snap a selfie. The brazen criminal act reportedly occurred late last month at the famed archaeological site. To the astonishment and dismay of other visitors at the location, a young woman ascended to the roof of Pompeii's thermal baths so that she could immortalize her visit with a one-of-a-kind photo from the trip.
One of the witnesses to the incident was Antonio Irlando, who works for an organization overseeing the site and managed to photograph the woman atop the ruins. In the tourist's defense, he told the New York Times, a rope designating the steps to the top of the thermal baths as being off-limits to visitors was inexplicably absent, which likely made her think that her selfie pose was permissible. Be that as it may, Irlando's image has since gone viral in Italy and, understandably, raised the ire of officials in the country, who called the tourist's actions "deplorable."
Fortunately, the vainglorious nature of social media may help in cracking the case as the woman apparently posted her selfie from atop the ruins of Pompeii online and now police in Italy are attempting to track the tourist down. The punishment for climbing atop the precious archaeological site is particularly harsh. If caught, the woman could wind up being fined approximately $3,500 and, should prosecutors feel serious about sending a message, up to one year in jail.
The ill-advised selfie is the latest in a series of incidents in Italy this summer involving bad behavior from tourists, including a memorable case last month wherein an Austrian visiting an art museum accidentally snapped the toes off of a statue while posing for a photo. In response to this unfortunate trend, Italy's Parliament has begun work on a new law which would increase the penalties for people who desecrate the country's cultural heritage.