Greece to toughen laws on sex crimes after wave of abuse allegations
Greece will toughen laws to combat sexual abuse and protect minors, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Thursday following a cascade of recent scandals in culture and sport.
"Greek society underwent a shock when it began
to learn about its hidden facades," Mitsotakis told parliament.
The measures he outlined include
stricter penalties for crimes against sexual freedom, changing the statute of
limitations for cases of child abuse, creating a registry for professionals who
work with children and a website where victims can submit allegations in real
time.
A number of allegations have
surfaced since January, when Olympic sailing champion Sofia Bekatorou testified
in court that she had been sexually assaulted as a 21-year-old in 1998 by a
sports official. No case was brought against the man, as the statute of
limitations had passed.
But her account - and the
outpouring of support it provoked - prompted dozens of actors, singers,
athletes and students to come forward in what Greeks have compared to the
#MeToo movement in the United States and elsewhere.
The former head of the National
Theatre, Dimitris Lignadis, is facing child rape allegations after two men who
say he raped them when they were minors filed lawsuits against him.
Lignadis, who is in custody, is
expected to appear before a prosecutor later on Thursday for a plea hearing. He
denies all allegations and his lawyer has called them a "crude fabrication."
His case has become a major political
issue, with the leftwing opposition calling on Culture Minister Lina Mendoni to
resign, accusing her of protecting Lignadis.
Mitsotakis said he backed Mendoni
and accused opposition leader Alexis Tsipras of seeking to exploit the scandal
for "populist" purposes.
According to a November survey by Actionaid, 85% of female respondents said they have experienced sexual harassment at work. Another poll last month by ProRata found more than 90% of those who said they had been harassed or abused did not believe they could get any legal redress.
