Greek Judicial Council rules that actor Petros Filippidis must stand trial for attempted rape

The Greek Judicial Council ruled on Thursday that Greek comic actor Petros Filippidis must stand trial before a Mixed Jury Court on three charges of serious sexual violence, including one charge of rape and two of attempted rape.

Filippidis has been accused of twice raping a female colleague in 2008 and of attempting to rape another two actresses in 2010 and 2014. The court rejected his assertions that the women accused him for “publicity purposes”.

The actor is currently jailed on remand and has been in custody since his arrest and testimony before an examining magistrate in July, on the grounds that he was liable to commit further offences and abuse his power as a theatre owner and director.

He was one of Greece’s funniest and most loved actors, but in late July this year an investigating magistrate and a prosecutor ruled that actor and director Petros Filippidis be detained for alleged acts of sexual assault against fellow actors, after his testimony before them.

Filipidis reportedly denied the allegations against him by three actors: one count of rape in 2008 and two counts of attempted rape in 2010 and 2014.

The two alleged victims had first appealed to the disciplinary board of the Association of Greek Actors, and their testimonies formed the basis of the current legal case against Filipidis.