ATHENS – A flood of allegations of sexual harassment, abuse and rape is spiraling in Greece with the Union of Actors (SEI) giving a prosecutor 18 reports from within its membership.
The state-run Athens-Macedonia News Agency (ANA-MPA) said SEI President Paschalis Tsarouchas turned over details about ongoing cases of abuse, as well as damning evidence against three members of the profession.
That comes as a #MeToo movement alleging sexual harassment and other abuses has spread across the country’s media, arts and sports sectors and drawn plans for tougher legislation from the New Democracy government.
The files are the latest of more complaints sent to SEI’s disciplinary board which have been forwarded for judicial investigation, adding to a pile more that has seen mostly women coming forth with lurid stories.
The prosecutor will now call those who made the complaints to testify to other judicial officials who will decide what to do and if any of the cases are credible and within the statute of limitations timetable.
The lawyer of jailed former National Theater director Dimitris Lignadis, who is accused of raping two minors, said he will bring lawsuits defending him, saying he wanted to uphold his own “personal and legal dignity.”
Attorney Alexis Kougias said he will file “for the first time in his career” a report to the leadership of the Supreme Court against the prosecutor in a preliminary probe for not summoning his client, “as he had a legal obligation, to provide an oral or written testimony before prosecuting him.”
He also criticized coverage of the case by the media and said he will also appeal to Greece’s National Broadcasting Council, said Kathimerini, without saying what could be done to bar journalists from doing their jobs.