Many international media have broadcast the news and details of the events that have shocked all of Greece. The news reached as far as India, but also Japan, where they spread the news.
The Associated Press ran the headline: “Olympic sailing reveals that he was attacked by an agent”.
Reuters had a detailed report on the communication of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis with Sofia Bekatorou.
The CNN that has promoted the news (today it is at No. 3) writes characteristically in its headline: “Sofia Bekatorou: The decision of the Olympian to talk about the alleged sexual assault of 1998 sparks public outcry in Greece”.
The japantimes headline: “The Greek sailor is praised for breaking the taboo of sexual harassment”.
Finally, the website times of india praises Sofia Bekatorou who broke the taboo and spoke publicly.
State Department of Sports
The need to activate the reflexes of the athletic family, after the complaints of Sofia Bekatorou for the sexual abuse she suffered, the Ministry of Sports points out in an announcement.
At the same time, he called on any athletes who may have been victims of similar behaviors in the past to put aside their doubts and fears and to “break the silence”, contributing to the cultivation of better conditions for the new generation.
The Deputy Minister of Sports, Lefteris Avgenakis, stood by Sofia Bekatorou, after the shocking testimony of the “Golden” Olympian in sailing, demanding the immediate mobilization of all sports disciplinary bodies.
“The shocking complaint of Sofia Bekatorou must immediately activate all sports disciplinary bodies. And its evolution to keep pace with the criminal, which are already being addressed. “It is time to break the tolerance and silence of such gloomy behaviors in sports venues as well”, was the message of the Deputy Minister of Sports on Twitter.
Deputy Minister of Sports Lefteris Avgenakis was hosted on the Skai show and revealed that he is aware of many similar cases.
“There are many incidents and they need filtering and very careful management, not to go to the other extreme. It also matters who says it, the personality of everyone, because there is a risk that there is a desire for personal revenge “, he said and called on other athletes to follow the example of Ms. Bekatorou.
“To open their mouths, to talk about their own experiences if they have similar incidents and to report them to justice. We are here, next to them to help them. At the same time, we will help to create a healthy landscape for the new generation of athletes. It is our obligation “, he noted
Undersecretary of education
The Deputy Minister of Education, Zetta Makri, made a statement on the occasion of the complaint of Olympian Sofia Bekatorou, emphasizing that “the right question is” why did he live it, then “and not” why did he speak, now “.
The whole statement of Mrs. Makri is as follows: The correct question is “why did he live it, then” and not “why did he speak, now”! And the right reaction is “let no one live it / no one, again”! And, certainly, not with impunity!
Prosecution investigation
The Prosecutor's Office of First Instance will start an ex-officio investigation after the public complaints of Olympian Sofia Bekatorou against a member of the Sailing Federation, whom she named as a perpetrator of sexual abuse that she suffered 23 years ago during her business trip.
The head of the Prosecutor's Office of First Instance, Sotiria Papageorgakopoulou, intervenes ex officio with the start of a preliminary investigation in order to find out what exactly happened, in the context of which on Monday or Tuesday the Olympian will be called to testify what she has claimed, regardless of her complaint. Bekatorou is already barred.
It is reported that Sofia Bekatorou may have referred to the sexual abuse she had suffered by the so-called agent, when she testified in the context of an investigation carried out by the Prosecutor's Office under the supervision of Prosecutor Konstantinos Simitzoglou, which was initiated by in the Sailing Federation.
Hellenic Sailing Federation
The Hellenic Sailing Federation is shocked by the avalanche of revelations in the press made by the Greek athlete, Olympian Sofia Bekatorou.
In a statement, the Hellenic Sailing Federation states that “of course, and in order to preserve the prestige of the Federation, the honor and reputation of all athletes, coaches and actors of the sport and to facilitate the investigation for which the final decision Justice has, we immediately requested and received the resignation of the Vice Chairman of the Board. , Mr. A. Adamopoulos “.
“The latter is said to be the man whom the Olympian named us to the prosecutor for the allegations. At the same time, we asked Mr. Adamopoulos to submit his resignation as a representative of the Federation to the Hellenic Olympic Committee. The Hellenic Sailing Federation unequivocally states that it will support the athlete and will help her in whatever is needed to reveal the truth to any competent authority. We want to clarify that until today no member of the Federation had officially, unofficially, as a rumor or even as a whisper, the slightest indication of this or any other similar abominable act, “he added.
The Federation invites every athlete, athlete or member of the Federation, if he / she has been a victim or has become aware of such behavior, to denounce it and will have her full support.
“We call on every athlete or actor to do the same in any sport. The victims of such or similar behavior have nothing to fear. We will be by their side. The Federation immediately invites our Olympian to appear before the Board of Directors and to report in detail on her complaint so that the Federation can take the appropriate action immediately. The relevant complaint shocked us because in the field of Sailing there has never been the slightest suspicion of such an incident. “The Federation is doing and will do the right thing and will not allow the slightest shadow to remain in terms of its prestige and the defense of the ideals of sports that it has been serving unabashedly for seven decades”, he notes.
Resignations
Giorgos Christopoulos of NE Kalamaki also resigned in writing yesterday, just as Giannis Papadimitriou had already done the day before yesterday (president of the IOP and candidate for president of the Federation in the upcoming elections).
“With particular sadness I am obliged to declare to you that I can not remain on the board of directors of the federation after the latest developments regarding the complaints of Mrs. Sofia Bekatorou. Following these shocking reports, I stand by their general approach in terms of EIO representation and the general climate of further disruption of the sporting spirit that has prevailed lately. “These conditions no longer express me as a person of Nautical Sports, as an Employer who employs dozens of family heads and as a Scientist”, states, in his resignation letter, George Christopoulos.
Secure information states that lawyer Christos Iliadis has also resigned from his duties as Legal Advisor of EIO.
It is recalled that late yesterday afternoon, at a meeting of the Board of Directors, the resignation of the vice president, A. Adamopoulos, who is the complainant by Sofia Bekatorou for sexual violence against her, was requested and received.
The president of the sailing federation Antonis Dimitrakopoulos spoke at the Open about the echo of the statements of Sofia Bekatorou.
“We had said that when the name of the perpetrator is announced, we will do everything necessary to restore the truth and suffer the consequences that are foreseen. EIO was not in the mood to downplay the event with its announcement and this was evident from the second announcement which was a continuation of the first. “The Executive Committee requested and received the resignation of the alleged perpetrator of this heinous act, while we also asked him to resign as our representative from the Olympic Committee, something that as far as I know happened,” he said.
As he stated, “we had no indication that there were such incidents in our area.”
Sports, Ethics and Ethics Committee
The intervention of the Sports, Ethics and Ethics Committee (EPIPID) of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, according to article 10 of the statute, for the complaints of the Olympian, Sofia Bekatorou, was requested by the President of EOE, Spyros Kapralos, and the General Secretary Kolimbadis.
Their letter to the president of EFIPID, George Leno, is as follows: “As you know, in recent days, the sailing Olympian Sofia Bekatorou, complained that in the past she was a victim of sexual abuse by a member of the Federation of Sailing, who is a member of the Sailing Federation. Plenary Session of E.O.E. as a representative of the sport “.
“In the context of article 10 par. 5 of the Articles of Association of E.O.E., please investigate in detail the complaint of the athlete, receiving testimonies and evidence from her, the complainant and any witnesses that will be proposed, and to suggest to the Plenary on whether there is a violation of the Regulations and provisions of the above article, in order to impose the sanctions provided “, they add.
A. Adamopoulos resigned from his duties at EOE
A letter to the president of the Greek Olympic Committee, Spyros Capralos, was sent by the representative of EIO, A. Adamopoulos, who announced his resignation from his duties at EOE.
“I follow with surprise the statements of Sofia Bekatorou, according to which I allegedly sexually abused her 23 years ago. I was informed of this for the first time today and, as I have already stated, the complaint is false, defamatory and submissive. Nevertheless, I fully understand that, due to the great negative publicity that the issue has received, it is very likely that the prestige of the Greek Olympic Committee will be damaged, which must always be high for the good of Greek sports. For this reason alone and with full awareness of my responsibility towards the E.O.E., I declare to you that from today until the full clarification of this case by the competent authorities I will cease to participate in the meetings of the bodies of the EU. “, Of which I am a member and in general I will abstain from the exercise of my duties from any other position I hold in the Hellenic Olympic Committee”, states A. Adamopoulos, in his letter.
President of the International Olympic Academy
The president of the International Olympic Academy, Isidoros Kouveros, also stands by Sofia Bekatorou, who states that he is shocked and emphasizes that this complaint requires immediate judicial intervention.
President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee
In a statement issued by the President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, Spyros Kapralos, he expressed his anger at what Sofia Bekatorou complained about and urged all athletes to start speaking freely and openly.
“With Sofia and every Sofia, As a member of the ILO in Greece, President of the Greek Olympic Committee but also as an athlete-Olympian, I feel angry with what our Olympian Sofia Bekatorou complained about the sexual abuse she suffered as a member of the National Team sailing “, he states.
She notes that Sophia spoke about the violence she suffered and the devastating psychological consequences she had from her abuse all these years.
“He made a brave decision at great mental cost. And we, all those who are involved in sports, must stand by it, demand the immediate clarification of the case without questioning it and do everything in our power so that in the future it does not take so many years to young athletes find the courage to report similar traumatic events… We must create in sports an environment that is safe, ethical, dignified and clean. Only in this way will parents be able to trust their children, only in this way will we be able to keep the new generation close to sports. “By creating the right conditions that will prevent any delinquent behavior, any immoral and malicious act”, he adds.
(KYPE-APE-MPE / DN / GBA)
