The Mixed Court of Appeal of Thessaloniki imposed a 19.5-year prison sentence on the 37-year-old for the abduction and sexual abuse of the underage student – a case that took place in June 2020 and had shocked public opinion.

The Court found the 37-year-old (again) guilty of kidnapping, rape and sexual acts against a minor, as well as supply and possession of drugs (for own use) and exposure to danger. No mitigating circumstances were granted to her and she was returned to prison after the judges’ verdict. At first instance he had been sentenced to imprisonment of 21 years and 7 months.

A 44-year-old man sat on the bench of the same Court, who was sentenced to 2 years in prison, with a 3-year suspension, for the misdemeanor of concealing crimes, because he knew about the 37-year-old’s actions and did not report them to the authorities. He himself, in the court of first instance, was convicted of complicity in the robbery and sentenced to 4 years in prison (he was free before the Court of Appeal).

What did the defendants claim in their plea?

In her statement, the main accused did a 180 degree turn regarding its defensive position, directly accusing the 44-year-old as the “instigator” of the abduction and emphasizing that he acted on his instructions and that he acted to the detriment of the minor. “He was good at handling me. I was like a little soldier,” he said – among other things – and apologized to the relatives of the 15-year-old (today) sufferer. “I have regretted so much, an apology is not enough, I regret it every day. I live and struggle with my guilt. I’m ashamed of myself, I hate him”he added.

For his part, the 44-year-old denied his involvement in the case, while he stated that he was meeting for pay with the 37-year-old after meeting on relevant internet pages. “When I heard about the Amber Alert I was shocked. I was pressuring her to call the police and give the child back. She had convinced me with her fairy tale. If I had known the child was in danger I would have called the police myself. It hadn’t occurred to me that the child was in danger.” he said in his apology.

It was preceded by the testimony of the mother of the minor, who, looking back in time, described the case, as she experienced it. “We lived in the same building, we were neighbors, we didn’t hang out, but our children did,” said the witness, referring to the accused. Speaking about the moment she met her daughter in hospital after her release, she said: “She was scared, scared, crying all the time.”.

He wondered why the 37-year-old took the minor child and added: “Let him take me”. As she testified, her daughter still resides in a juvenile facility and visits her twice a month. “She was an angel… She’s still scared, she’s being watched by psychologists”the mother said.