Greek Actor Petros Filippidis Detained for Rape

Petros Filippidis, once among the most popular actors of Greece, was detained after he was interrogated in Athens on the charges of one count of rape and two counts of attempted rape on Tuesday.

The charges were brought against the actor by three different women who had worked with him professionally in the past. The alleged rape is said to have occurred in 2008, and the attempted rapes in 2010 and 2014. The Greek actor denies all charges.

Filippidis, who is currently being held in the Greek Police Headquarters in Athens, will be transferred to jail in Tripoli tomorrow morning.

Petros Filippidis was dropped from roles after rape accusations

Once one of the most popular and beloved actors in Greece, Filippidis faced a fall from grace on a scale previously unheard of in the country after countless women who worked with him accused him of sexual assault in February.

It was at that time that the Greek authorities began their investigation into the actor’s alleged crimes.

An outflow of rage and disgust at the allegations leveled against the actor caused many prominent organizations in the realm of Greek film, television, and theater to drop the comedian from any future shows and sever ties with him.

The allegations came at a period of cultural shift in Greece, when many prominent figures in the country either went public about suffering sexual assault or were found to have committed the heinous act.

Greek #MeToo Movement

Sofia Bekatorou, Greek Olympic sailing champ, spoke out about an alleged sexual assault she faced as a young woman preparing for the Olympics at the hands of a prominent member of the Hellenic Sailing Federation in January.

After Bekatorou’s allegations, a cascade of charges quickly began to rain down on the heads of other prominent figures in Greece, including the famous Greek actor Giorgos Kimoulis, who is universally recognized as one of the country’s finest thespians.

He was suddenly barred from taking part in this year’s iconic Athens and Epidaurus Festival, after a number of actresses complained about sustaining abuse from him, even including hitting them during performances.

In February, Dimitris Lignadis, actor and former head of the Greek National Theater, was arrested on charges of rape against underage boys. This came after years of whispers in the community about the actor, that many argue should have been heeded years ago to protect countless young victims.

Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni herself came under fire after the allegations against Lignadis surfaced, as she had appointed him to his role at the Greek National Theater.

Many argued that it was impossible that she had not heard the rumors about Lignadis that had circulated throughout the community for so many years.

Mendoni rejected the accusations in February, stating that “nobody had ever told me anything.”

She then added that she was not aware of the personal lives of the artists who performed at venues. “We didn’t cover up anything,” she said.

“Sexual abuse is a hideous and disgraceful case,” she said, adding that “we are a state governed by the rule of law and that is why we are moving forward through the institutional path, the judicial path,” referencing the calls to increase penalties for sexual abuse in Greece in the wake of the accusations.