Respected "family man" in Athens charged for allegedly raping and forcing underage girl into prostitution

A 53-year-old man who repeatedly raped a 12-year-old girl who also prostituted the underage victim has been arrested in Kolonos district of Athens.

Greek media have reported that the suspect ran a retail business in Athens, where the 12-year-old worked in his store and her mother was also an employee.

The man allegedly raped the schoolgirl repeatedly, recorded the assaults and uploaded the videos to the internet via a fake profile he had created, using it to attract clients to pay him to have sex with the girl.

It remains unknown how many people raped the 12-year-old. Media have reported that 213 people expressed interest via the fake profile.

It was a relative of the girl who discovered that she was been abused and was forced to offer sex services. The relative informed the mother who immediately contacted the police.

A 42-year was also arrested and charged on Friday night.

The rapist and pimp used to rape the girl under the threat of a weapon inside his store. He would also take pictures and filmed the victim and then upload the material on internet seeking for customers, media reported.

A total of 213 men had reportedly responded to his online advertisement after police went through his phone records.

The girl has told police that she has been raped by 10 men at least.

The man would charge her out per appointment would take place near the metro station of Sepolia in western Athens.

The victim would be sexually abused inside the client cars.

According to state broadcaster ERT, the man would claim on his sex advertisment that the girl was “a 16-year-old student.”

The suspect’s name has not been made public. However, both his name and pictures from his official social media account are circulating on social media by other Greek internet users and the hashtag #παιδοβιαστης_Κολωνος is trending as people have been outraged with the abuse the young girl has endured.

The suspect had often posted pictures of him chanting in the church, pictures of him together with members of the clergy and prominent with members of the governing political party, New Democracy.

The suspect is reported to be a member of the party. This was confirmed by Yiannis Oikonomou, deputy minister to the prime minister and government spokesperson. However, Oikonomou emphasised that the party has cancelled the man’s membership.

“What has been revealed is horrible and abominable, it goes without saying that his party membership has been suspended, it is not correct to attempt to exploit such cases politically,” Oikonomou told journalists on Monday.

Oikonomou also told Greek TV channel ANT1 on Tuesday that the names of the 213 people who are alleged to have expressed interest in having sex with the girl should be revealed.

Greek Tourism Minister Vasilis Kikilias said on Tuesday after the arrest of a 53-year-old resident of Athens for repeatedly raping a 12-year-old that “as a parent and a father, I am sickened by what has happened to this little girl”.

Greek police release names of alleged child rapists