Third man arrested in connection with Kolonos child rape
[image]Third man arrested in connection with Kolonos child rape
A third suspect was arrested late Friday night in connection with the rape and pimping of a 12-year-old girl from Kolonos, central Athens.
The 33-year-old man is accused of repeatedly having sex with a minor for a fee. He initially contacted the girl through a chat application and subsequently met with her at least twice in the area of Sepolia. He is expected to appear before a prosecutor on Monday.
Police also said two men who had been talking to the girl on the same chat application over the summer appeared voluntarily before the police on Friday for a sworn testimony on the case. Officers confiscated they mobile phones for inspection and both men left.
Police have already arrested three people over the girl’s rape: Ilias Michos, a 52-year-old shopkeeper from Kolonos, and Ioannis Sofianidis, 42, who both confessed that they had had sexual relations with the child. Appearing before a prosecutor, Michos exercised his right to remain silent on charges of pimping and raping, while Sofianidis is said to have accepted paying the child, and not Michos, and denying that what he did was rape.
Police also arrested the girl’s 37-year-old mother later Wednesday. She will face an examining magistrate Thursday, to answer the same charge of pimping out the girl.
Michos is accused of raping the girl several times between April and August, photographing and videotaping her and uploading the material to several porn sites under fake identities. Apparently, 213 men responded asking for an appointment, and Sofianidis was one of them.
His wife, Elisavet Lekka, had been elected Athens city councillor in 2019 on the slate of Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis, who belongs to the ruling New Democracy party. She was expelled from Bakoyannis’ faction due to her husband’s involvement in the crime. In a statement issued on Thursday, Lekka referred to her “disgust” at her husband’s alleged actions adding that she has nothing to do with the alleged crimes.
Officers also raided a brothel in central Athens late on Wednesday night, arresting four people.
A third suspect was arrested late Friday night in connection with the rape and pimping of a 12-year-old girl from Kolonos, central Athens.
The 33-year-old man is accused of repeatedly having sex with a minor for a fee. He initially contacted the girl through a chat application and subsequently met with her at least twice in the area of Sepolia. He is expected to appear before a prosecutor on Monday.
Police also said two men who had been talking to the girl on the same chat application over the summer appeared voluntarily before the police on Friday for a sworn testimony on the case. Officers confiscated they mobile phones for inspection and both men left.
Police have already arrested three people over the girl’s rape: Ilias Michos, a 52-year-old shopkeeper from Kolonos, and Ioannis Sofianidis, 42, who both confessed that they had had sexual relations with the child. Appearing before a prosecutor, Michos exercised his right to remain silent on charges of pimping and raping, while Sofianidis is said to have accepted paying the child, and not Michos, and denying that what he did was rape.
Police also arrested the girl’s 37-year-old mother later Wednesday. She will face an examining magistrate Thursday, to answer the same charge of pimping out the girl.
Michos is accused of raping the girl several times between April and August, photographing and videotaping her and uploading the material to several porn sites under fake identities. Apparently, 213 men responded asking for an appointment, and Sofianidis was one of them.
His wife, Elisavet Lekka, had been elected Athens city councillor in 2019 on the slate of Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis, who belongs to the ruling New Democracy party. She was expelled from Bakoyannis’ faction due to her husband’s involvement in the crime. In a statement issued on Thursday, Lekka referred to her “disgust” at her husband’s alleged actions adding that she has nothing to do with the alleged crimes.
Officers also raided a brothel in central Athens late on Wednesday night, arresting four people.
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