An Italian student has been fined €15,000 and handed a suspended prison sentence after being caught vandalising Ġgantija temples in Gozo.

Heritage Malta said in a statement that it “unreservedly condemns an act of vandalism perpetrated yesterday at Ġgantija, where an Italian student caused irreparable damage by etching letters on one of the main doorways of this Neolithic monument declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.”

The agency said that the 18-year-old student was visiting the site as part of a school trip and was caught in the act by a security officer and the police were immediately summoned on site.

The youth was arraigned during an urgent session of the Gozo Court held on Monday, where he admitted to the charges brought against him.

He was sentenced to two years imprisonment suspended for four years, which is the maximum period permitted by law, and to a fine of €15,000.

“Heritage Malta, having invested considerably over the past months in the enhancement of security at its museums and sites, voices its satisfaction at the timely intervention of the security officer involved in yesterday’s incident,” the agency said.