Italian Swimmers Benedetta Pilato & Chiara Tarantino allegedly shoplifted in Singapore
Italian swimmers Benedetta Pilato and Chiara Tarantino were briefly detained for allegedly shoplifting in Singapore.
Tarantino had allegedly placed perfumes in Pilato’s bag while waiting for their flight home.
The pair had competed in the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore before heading off for a vacation in Bali. They were due to transit through Singapore while heading back to Italy.
In a statement seen by MS News, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) confirmed the incident.
“The Police confirm that two female Italian nationals, aged 20 and 22, were arrested on 14 August 2025 at Changi Airport for shoplifting.”
The two have since left Singapore and are banned from re-entering.
Italian swimmers allegedly shoplifted while transiting through Singapore
According to Italian news site La Gazzetta dello Sport, CCTV footage showed Pilato and Tarantino committing the act on 14 Aug while waiting for their flight back to Italy with two other swimmers.
The pair were subsequently detained and searched for more stolen items.
The SPF said that as part of the standard procedures for cases involving foreigners arrested in Singapore, they informed the Embassy of Italy in Singapore of the case. This is so that the Embassy could render consular assistance if needed.
With the Italian Embassy’s intervention, Pilato and Tarantino were later taken to a hotel.
Investigations into the act reportedly ended on 18 Aug, after the court issued a warning and granted their release.
The SPF said that two women were administered a 12-month conditional warning on 19 August 2025.
The pair arrived in Italy two days later on 20 Aug.
The incident took place after the World Aquatics Championships, held in Singapore from July 11 to August 3, where Pilato secured a bronze medal in the 50-meter breaststroke.
After the event, the pair vacationed in Bali before transiting through Singapore on their way back to Italy.
Italian swimmer addresses incident via Instagram post
20-year-old Benedetta Pilato has since addressed the incident via a post on her Instagram page.
“On days that should have been mainly of rest and mental relaxation, I went through, far from home, particularly difficult moments, which fortunately turned out to be independent of my will, but which marked me deeply on the human plan.”
She referred to the shoplifting situation as an “unfortunate incident being handled by the Singapore airport authorities”.
She said that the “incident ended in a few hours, without any implications”.
“I never intended to commit inappropriate gestures,” she wrote, adding that she embraces “the values of sport, fairness, and personal honesty”
MS News has reached out to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for more information.
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Featured image adapted from Benedetta Pilato on Instagram and Cool Swim Meeting on YouTube.Â
