SINGAPORE: Benedetta Pilato, one of the swimmers from Italy who was detained due to a shoplifting incident at Changi Airport on Aug 14, said in an Instagram post that she has “learned great lessons” from what happened.
Ms Pilato, 20, had taken part in the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore from Jul 11 to Aug 3, where she won the bronze medal in the 50-metre breaststroke. Along with fellow Italian swimmer Chiara Tarantino, 22, and others, she took a side trip to Bali and returned to Singapore before they were scheduled to fly home to Italy.
While the two were at Changi Airport, however, Ms Tarantino was seen on camera taking three bottles of perfume from a duty-free shop. According to a report in Gazzetta dello Sport, Ms Tarantino placed the bottles, which she did not pay for, into Ms Pilato’s luggage.
They were apprehended by Singaporean authorities, and their possessions were searched. The two women were then handcuffed and brought to a police station, where they spent the night.
Meanwhile, an official from the Italian embassy in Singapore intervened to assist in matters after another Italian swimmer reached out to say that Ms Pilato and Ms Tarantino had been detained. Reports say that they were then brought to a hotel. Their passports were taken from them, and they spent several days in their room as they were not allowed to leave.
A judge issued them a warning on Aug 19, and the two women flew home the next day.
On Aug 29, the Italian swimming federation said that it condemned the incident, adding that it “reserves the right to carefully evaluate the matter”.
Ms Pilato’s statement
On Saturday (Aug 30), Ms Pilato issued a statement regarding the matter in an Instagram post, where she explained in Italian that she had been “indirectly involved in an unfortunate incident being handled by the Singapore Airport Authority.”
The swimmer added, “On days that should have been mainly for rest and mental relaxation, I went through, far from home, particularly difficult moments, which turned out to be independent of my will, but which seriously affected me.”
She underlined that she “collaborated with local authorities from the very beginning, with the full support of the Italian embassy.” She wrote: “Fortunately, the incident ended within a few hours, without any implications, thanks to my maximum transparency with the Singapore airport authorities.”
“I never intended to commit inappropriate gestures, and those who know me know how much I care about sport values, fairness, and personal honesty. From this experience, I’ve learned great lessons about prudence, individual responsibility, and the value of the people around me.”
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An Aug 29 report from the AP noted that Ms Tarantino has yet to comment on the incident. /TISG
Read also: World Aquatics defers Sentosa Open water race due to poor water quality
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