Greek theater director given time to respond to rape charges
Prominent Greek actor-director Dimitris Lignadis has appeared at a court hearing in Athens and was given until Wednesday to respond to charges of multiple rapes by an examining magistrate
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Prominent Greek actor-director Dimitris Lignadis appeared before a court in Athens on Sunday and was given until Wednesday to respond to charges of multiple rapes by an examining magistrate He will remain jailed until then, court authorities said.
The magistrate and a prosecutor will jointly decide later whether he will be kept in jail or released pending his trial.
According to court sources, Lignadis is accused of rape by two men who were minors when the events occurred in 2010 and 2015. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Lignadis, 56, resigned on Feb. 6 as the artistic director of Greece's National Theater amid reports of his alleged behavior.
Charges of abusive behavior, sexual harassment and rape against several well-known Greek actors, directors and officials have proliferated in the past month, creating a #MeToo moment in Greece. The first to speak out was Olympic gold medalist Sofia Bekatorou, who accused an official at Greece's sailing federation of raping her in 1998.
Greece's culture minister, Lina Mendoni, said Friday that she had asked a Supreme Court prosecutor to investigate charges of rape and harassment in the theater community. The opposition has accused her of trying to shield Lignadis, who was appointed in 2019 by the current conservative government.