For his sexual abuse by Dimitris Lignadis, which, according to his allegations, he suffered when he was 17 years old, testified today as the fourth alleged victim of the director in the ongoing trial of the case at the Mixed Jury Court of Athens.
The witness said that he stayed at the actor's house for eight months, not having, as he said, anywhere else to go, and there he was raped by the director, whom he had met at St. Paul Square in Metaxourgeio.
In fact, his examination by counsel and the court was not completed and is expected to continue in the next hearing. However, there was no shortage of tension in the courtroom today either, as early in the morning, at the start of the trial, Dimitris Lignadis' lawyer, Alexis Kougias, requested that lawyer Ioannis Vlachos, who is representing the fourth man, who is accusing the director of rape, be removed from the prosecution.
According to the director's lawyer, Mr. Vlachos forged the signature of the alleged fourth victim on the power of attorney granted to him last March. In fact, this particular complainant did not appear to testify even today, although the court has ordered his forcible arraignment.
The testimony
Next, the 24-year-old man testified in court, stating that he met Dimitris Lignadis in Metaxourgeio. "Late January-early February 2015, I was sitting on a bench in Agios Pavlos with friends. He came by and talked to us. Then I received a friendship message, which I accepted, because I am interested in the arts and after that he asked me to meet him."[/I] said the complainant.
"I thought about it at first, but then I accepted. We met on February 6-8, 2015. I went to his house and there he asked me if I wanted to go to a friend's birthday party. I accepted. We went to a place in the Syntagma area, sat down, had a drink and in the evening he dropped me off at home. After that he suggested I go to some shows. At that time I was in B high school, I was 17 years old."
Subsequently, the witness referred to the life he had until then and from which, he said, he wanted to escape. His mother and father are alcoholics and he lived with his mother in a house without electricity and water. In fact, he said that he had been physically abused "beaten and eaten" by both his parents.
He also noted that his mother, an illegal immigrant from Ukraine, abandoned him to live her life with another man. "I didn't tell anyone about the problems I had, out of shame," the complainant said, and then claimed he toldDimitris Lignadis about them in early February 2015, when they went to a show together. "I trusted him. I told him about my mother, about my father, that I have no electricity at home and no papers for my stay in the country. He suggested I stay with him. He said I don't want to impose on you, it's your choice," the young man said.
And he continued: "I felt he could help me. I felt trusting because he told me that his own father was also abusive and that he loved his mother. I felt he understood me. I saw it as a chance to get away from it all. To finish school, to have a more normal life."
The witness said that, after about six meetings with the defendant, he decided to go to his apartment. "I gradually took my things from my house ... I was sleeping in the living room. After a few days he even gave me keys... I felt bad that I had nothing to offer. I told him if he wanted me to cook. He'd leave me a sum, I'd shop, I'd cook. At the same time, I was going to school. I was also cleaning the house, tidying up. I felt obliged."
Chairman: Had the defendant asked you anything for what he offered you?
Witness: No.
Chairman: Had he offered you hashish?
Witness: He had shown me a bag and then because he had invited friends he offered them. I could tell because it had a bad smell. I never did. I said no and he never gave it to me again."
The 24-year-old said that in the beginning of his co-habitation with Dimitris Lignadis, he was very polite, but then there were tensions. "He told me to get a job, but I had no papers..." said the witness and described to the audience the scene of his abuse, for which he has denounced the director. I told him no. Suddenly he approached me, took me by the hand. pulled me into the room and threw me on the bed. He pulled down my pants. I froze... He tried to penetrate me. I couldn't react. He told me to calm down... I couldn't react, I did the act with a lot of pain... I never asked for sexual intercourse with him, nor did I like him as a man. I didn't talk, because at first I wondered if I had done something and caused it... I said that it was logically my fault."
The 24-year-old said he continued to stay at Lignadi's house because he had nowhere to go, but also to give him another chance. He then claimed one more time, when he was with a friend in the bedroom of the defendant's apartment, the defendant raped him,
the witness said: "n a sudden the defendant came on top of me and a violent penetration ensued. He pulled down my pants, I didn't see him at first, I felt his weight, he blocked me. He suddenly came out of nowhere. I froze again, I couldn't react. It was the same as the last time. I went to the bathroom, I started crying."
Chairman: You didn't say anything to your friend?
Witness: No, never.
Chairman: Why?
Witness: It was sudden. I didn't react, from what I have experienced I am afraid to resist violence.
President: Was there another time this happened?
Witness: He tried to give me oral sex, but I didn't want to, it was April. Eventually it happened, I fantasized about something else and it happened.
Finally, the young man reported that he had seen the defendant one more time "with a dark-haired boy who was on all fours." According to him, the director then asked him if they could all get together. "I didn't want to and I told him so," the witness said, claiming that Dimitris Lignadis replied, "You ruined it for me."
Source: Proto Thema
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