Two Italian national swimmers have been banned from re-entering Singapore after being arrested and issued a conditional warning for a shoplifting incident at Changi Airport. The Singapore Police Force confirmed the details of the case in a statement on September 4, 2025, following media reports about the arrest.
The individuals involved are Benedetta Pilato, aged 20, and Chiara Tarantino, aged 22. Both women were part of the Italian contingent that competed at the World Aquatics Championships held in Singapore from July 11 to August 3, 2025. The alleged offense occurred on August 14, after the athletes had returned to Singapore from a holiday in Bali. They were in transit, scheduled to continue their journey back to Italy.
According to reports, the two were arrested at the airport after surveillance cameras allegedly captured Chiara Tarantino placing perfume products into Benedetta Pilato's suitcase. The act was identified as shoplifting, leading to their detention by airport authorities. As part of standard procedure for cases involving arrested foreign nationals, the Singapore Police informed the Embassy of Italy in Singapore to provide consular assistance.
After reviewing the facts and circumstances of the case, and in consultation with the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the police issued both women a 12-month conditional warning. This warning stipulates that they must not commit any further offenses during this period. As a consequence of the incident, both swimmers have since left Singapore and are officially banned from re-entering the country.
The Italian Embassy confirmed its involvement in the case, stating it intervened based on the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations to assist and provide support to its two citizens. The convention outlines the rights of consular officers to visit their nationals in detention and arrange for legal representation. The embassy clarified that it had no competence or full knowledge of the case details, which were handled by the Singaporean authorities.
The incident prompted a strong response from the Italian Swimming Federation. The federation publicly condemned the behavior of the two swimmers and announced it had opened an internal investigation through its sports tribunal. This investigation could lead to disciplinary measures. The federation's director of communications stated that the case would not be reviewed by Italian courts as the events had been clarified with Singaporean authorities.
The Italian national swim team’s head coach also expressed great disappointment, calling the behavior damaging to the sport and stating that the athletes had done something very serious. He emphasized that they are ambassadors for their country even when not wearing their national uniform.
In the aftermath, Benedetta Pilato, who won a bronze medal at the championships, posted a statement on a social media platform. She described being indirectly involved in an unpleasant incident and going through particularly difficult times, but stated the matter was resolved within hours due to her transparency with authorities.
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