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ATHENS — Greece’s government on Thursday introduced a raft of proposals designed to combat sexual abuse after a wave of #MeToo allegations rocked the country.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told parliament that his conservative government would seek to toughen penalties for sex offenders, put forward changes to the statute of limitations in cases involving children and ask courts to prioritize sexual abuse cases.
He also said that the government would set up a website where victims can submit claims and access information, and establish a registry of professionals who work with minors, such as employees of summer camps and refugee facilities.
“Greek society underwent a shock when it began to learn about its hidden facades,” Mitsotakis said. “We send the message that citizens can speak safely; we know that it is difficult for someone who has suffered this serious injury … The big issue is for the victims to speak freely.”
Greece’s much-delayed #MeToo moment came in January, nearly four years after the movement swept across the globe in 2017, when sailing champion Sofia Bekatorou revealed she had been assaulted by a high-ranking Hellenic Sailing Federation official in 1998.
Although the statute of limitations on that case had long passed, her testimony led to a slew of high-profile resignations and sparked an outpouring of similar allegations — first in the world of sports, then beyond.
In recent weeks, the movement rocked the country’s arts scene. A prominent Greek actor was dropped from a comedy series earlier this month due to sexual abuse and harassment allegations against him; the Association of Greek Actors submitted dozens of complaints to the state prosecutor on Wednesday.
And last weekend, Dimitris Lignadis — until recently the head of Greece’s National Theater — was arrested after two men accused him of raping them when they were minors. Lignadis denies the allegations, and his lawyer Alexis Kougias has described them as a “crude fabrication” made by “professional homosexuals.”
Thursday’s proposals are a major step for a country that has lagged behind many of its European peers on gender equality — and a rare case of a government initiating sweeping legal changes as a result of the #MeToo movement.
But the government has also come under fire, with the opposition and artists’ unions calling for the resignation of Culture Minister Lina Mendoni over the Lignadis case.
Mendoni appointed Lignadis as head of the National Theater in August 2019 after she scrapped an existing open call for the position. She was also criticized for not reacting promptly when the allegations against Lignadis first surfaced.
She has vehemently denied any accusations of favoritism, saying that neither she nor Mitsotakis had been friends with Lignadis. Mitsotakis and some art world officials have since expressed support for Mendoni.
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