It started after 9:30 in the courtroom of the Mixed Jury Court the apology of Dimitris Lignadis on charges of rape of young and underage males.
The former artistic director took to the podium and starting his apology said: "I again deny the charges. Today would be a day of redemption for me because after a year and a half in prison, where one minute counts for a month, I am able to apologize. Because I have never apologized before, I would ask you to ask me questions and I will answer them."
Chairman: Let's go for each act separately. Tell us, do you know Ali? (i.e. the first complainant)
Defendant: I got to know Ali's name when there were threats that someone from Sweden would file a lawsuit against me. I saw Ali in a photo in the GADA prisoner and even remembered him together with his cousin Hassan.
President: Did you ever meet him in person?
Accused: No, never. That's when I realized who he was and I saw the lawsuit and what he was accusing me of and it blew my mind. I did not recall any face-to-face meeting with Ali, I don't rule out talking to him on social media. I want to tell you that I got first time in my life computer big. In 2009. I made a use of the computer on platforms etc on social media. I was talking to 1000 people, I don't rule out talking to him.
President: Before your phone was seized you didn't search to see if you remember ...
Defendant: When you are sure of something you didn't do you don't go into that process.
President: But do you know a relative of Ali, Hassan?
Defendant: Yes, Hassanako, we played ball together at Larissa Station
President: So Ali did not ask you for friendship?
Defendant: I can't rule it out, he may have made a friend request
President: Did you accept friendship requests?
Accused: Yes, I accepted uncontrollably at the beginning, perhaps wrongly. I was demotivated by this gizmo called a computer. I must confess that at the beginning I had an uncontrolled activity, but not illegal or irregular.
Note that the courtroom is packed. His brother, his brother-in-law, his former daughter-in-law, a former partner, other friends including a retired judicial officer and Eleni Kourkoula are present in the courtroom to hear the apology of Dimitris Lignadis.
The second plaintiff in the case and Nikos S. are also present in the courtroom, whose public complaint opened the "Aeolus door" for the allegations of sexual abuse by the former artistic director of the National Theatre.
Source: protothema.gr
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