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Leading Greek Sporting Official Resigns Following Rape Charges

Anthee Carassava

   ATHENS - A leading Greek sporting official has resigned over
   allegations that he sexually assaulted Olympic sailing champion
   SofiaBekatorou. The revelation has sparked an urgent judicial
   investigation, promptingmoreallegedvictims to speak out about similar
   sexual assaults. But prosecuting the alleged offenders may prove
   impossibledue to ineffective laws.
   Greeks are already calling her the silence breaker. And 23 years after
   the alleged rape took place during qualifying matches for the 2000
   Games inSydney,SofiaBekatorounow says she wants more women victims to
   speak out.

   "The messages I am receiving are hugely positive and supportive," she
   said.

   Bekatorou says she knowsmore victimsareout there in the field of
   sportandiscalling on them all to make their accusations known.

   A goldmedalistat the 2004 Olympics in her homeland,Bekatoroureferred
   tothe allegedrape during an online conference organized by theGreek
   Sports Ministry over the weekend. She refused to name the official at
   the time, but when a local prosecutor called her in during an urgent
   probe, she is said to have identifiedAristidesAdamopoulos,thena senior
   member of theHellenic Sailingfederation. He is alsoalocal official of
   the ruling New Democracy party.

   Bekatorouis due to reappear beforetheprosecutor by Tuesday to provide
   additional details -- accusations that Adamopoulos has not denied.
   Adamopoulos has urgedhe public to refrain from reaching what he called
   any rash decision.

   Andonis Dimitrakopoulos, the president of thefederation, said he pushed
   Adamopoulos to resign over the weekend to clear his
   name.Dimitrakopoulossaid the sporting organization wasnot
   awareofthealleged assault and more importantly, would have helped put a
   lid on the entire affair ifAdamopouloshad sought out the support of the
   federation.Bekatorousays the admissionleft herstunned.

   "That the federation would respond to such a serious accusation in such
   a way is just regrettable," she said.

   Two other leading athletes have sincespoken out about
   similarallegedassaults, including national water polo champion
   ManiaBikoff, whoalleges her team doctor sexually harassed herdecades
   ago.The doctor, who was not named, did not respond to the accusation.

   "I was going in for shoulder treatments and he was asking me to instead
   pull down my pants. He never did anything but would sit there
   andobserveme naked," said Bikoff.

   The HellenicOlympic Committee hasalsoopened an investigation.

   For a small, close-knit society like Greece, public revelations of this
   sort are uncommon, even as #MeToo movements grip countries across the
   globe.

   But even if a subtle change in the country's cultural mindsetis
   starting to take form, pundits warn that laws lag far behind.

   Rapeoffendersin Greececanface betweenfiveand 20 years in prison if
   convicted.Astatueof limitations has already expired in the case of
   Adamopoulos.

   Legal experts contacted by VOA say related laws should now be revised
   to have the timing on thestatuteof limitationsbegin whenallegedvictims
   likeBekatoroureport the offense.

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