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On April 5, the Kavala Court unanimously declared innocent the two accused of raping a 21-year-old student in Xanthi. "Starter" spoke to a person who attended the trial and chooses to remain anonymous.
Q: Tell us a few words about what happened on 1 March 2015?
A: Another rape complaint has occurred in the city of Xanthi. A 21-year-old female student was raped by two well-known men in her home. The student was in a state of drunkenness exploited by the two guys, forcibly forced her to use cannabis and then raped her for hours throughout the night until the next day.
Q: What was the reaction of the local community at that time?
CA: The first day rape was denounced by the local community was shocked. Xanthi is a city that has a long past rape. From the 80s with the well-known "dragon" Kyriakos Papachronis until 2012 with the abominable rape and the murder of Zoe Dallalidou.
There have been other rapes like a five-year-old girl from her father and her uncle and the group rape of a student from two of her classmates. So the first day people were very angry with the rapists and circulated their names word-of-mouth. They were also known in the city, men who were involved with the night one, the other administrative officer at the university and became a big bust.
From the next day, when they hired their lawyers, great lawyers in Xanthi, the climate began to change, and rape was questioned by much of society.
Note that the girl did not come from Xanthi, so she did not have the same network of relatives and friends. So the climate was reversed, and the young lady from "withered" transformed into "those who wanted it and just regretted it."
Q: What were the consequences for the victim's life after her rape was denounced?
A: The consequences for most women who report rape are repeated. It is the only crime where the victim is more stigmatized by the perpetrator.
First, the girl was forced to move from Xanthi to stop her studies. He has been watching a psychologist on a regular basis since then and suffers from post-traumatic shock. The entire family of the girl moved from her place of origin to another city because she was also stigmatized there.
Costs for the court proceedings were excessive and the family is experiencing financial bleeding. And the girl's father has suffered health problems from his misery. These include the rape that was repeated in the trial and the acquittal of the defendants, which was the final blow from which I believe that this brave woman who has arrived here will be able to stand up.
Q: Yesterday (April 5th) the Kavala Court decided unanimously on the innocence of the two defendants. On what basis was this decision based?
A : Their main arguments were totally absurd, and there was a number of sexist others.
The first was that the forensic report showed no signs of rape. What does it mean traces of rape to them? It means that the genital organs should have injuries and that there should be traces of violence, abrasions, etc. In women's calendars and testimonials we know that in most cases of rape, women are totally passive, it is the so-called "freeze" Feeling that I do not belong to my body and I move somewhere else to endure it and that something worse does not happen. Let me note that the coroner who wrote the report testified in favor of the accused, which in turn is stinking ...
Their second flawed argument was that the girl was not drunk, so she was aware of what was happening and that no one was exploiting it, even trying to even say that it was drug related because she had gone to Amsterdam! So watch (the people we go to Amsterdam) about what we can blame ...
Essentially, there was no evidence and all the rest were the arguments of the sexist rhetoric that casts responsibility on the victim. "Why did not he resist ?, why did not he fight? Why did not she leave ?, why? "Attacks on her morality, her sexual life, her mental state, but nothing but an invocation to the values of the Fall.
I would dare to say that the devil's lawyers were so unethical that even her "perfection" wanted to find it as an argument against her: "She was such a perfect and good girl, always a good schoolgirl and excellent, from a family of values and child Who grew up with love, who revolutionized all of them, a revolution for which he regretted for this he raped the rape. "
The lawyers were so abusive that fortunately the girl was not in the audience and they did not have mercy. They are co-responsible for those women who will not denounce their rape.
Q: Judgment of the Court, though outrageous, is not surprising how the victims of rape are facing justice. That is why many women do not report their rape. Do you believe that despite the attitude of the Authorities, women must report their rape?
A: Yes, most women know what is waiting for them and that's why they hold for themselves. They are afraid, they are self-excited, they are silent, but they do not forget!
D. is a heroine who has arrived here and the decision of the trial is of little importance. It is important that he talked about how he protected other women, he gave the example of courage. He put them with "big fish" and managed to swim.
Although so much is so difficult, yes, I think women are good at trying to denounce their rape. At the same time, however, a movement is needed to support these women, and in this direction we must work to improve it.
There should be women advocates for feminist education and conscience. Have a solidarity network that will collect money for legal expenses. There is solidarity in courts and actions in cities.
This woman will feel that she is not alone. We can not ask women to denounce their rape if we do not strengthen our movement at the same time.