A sailing coach who allegedly raped an 11-year-old athlete nine years ago appeared provocative and unrepentant in a shocking interview on Mega TV.
“We had a relationship, I was waiting to get married, I had and I have feelings. She was not 11 years old when the relationship stopped being platonic. I did not see the difference in the 16 years as bad”.
Last week’s revelations by Olympic medalist in sailing Sofia Bekatorou about her sexual harassment by an official of the Sailing Federation in 1998 have caused a snowball effect, with many athletes since coming forward and alleging they had been subjected to sexual harassment.
In the latest case, the 38-year-old man, also a sailing coach, who lives on an island, claimed he was in a relationship with an 11-year-old child and that when you are in a relationship with a child this is not rape!
“I wanted her for marriage, I had no evil intention – I had and still have feelings, I was waiting for her to grow up, to become 18 years old. I wondered if she would ever call me? I love her, how can I explain it. I could not look at anyone else, but it was not sexual. I wanted to marry her, what’s wrong with that?”, he astonishingly said.
“I can not accept rape, it is something mutual, I do not think there was rape, rape is once… On the contrary, I wanted to get married, we celebrated together”, said the former coach.
“I love her and she loved me and I fell in love with her, and I would love her even more, every time I saw her. I could not look at any other woman, I had a relationship and I divorced her. OK, rape can be done once, but twice? How many times? This thing is not rape. She wanted it. Se wanted it more than me, that is, she wanted it and I have tragic evidence, let’s say to reveal.”
“Can’t a girl marry young? And I would add that coming from poor families children are more mature. Children from a very poor family are the most mature,” says the 38-year-old.
also read
Rare 1821 heroes’ items on display at the Eleftherios Venizelos Airport in Athens
Bond-girl Tonia Sotiropoulou reveals she was sexually harassed at 18 – Greek #MeToo
“I had very real, honest feelings. What rape? If you ask the kids in there who were her age, everyone will tell you. I wanted to marry her, where is the bad thing? My mother used to say to me “Why don’t have any friends?”. “What could I tell her now? That I’m still there? Yes, I’m still there,” concludes the former coach.
The young girl, who is now 20 years old, a student, a member of the national sailing teams, and with “global distinctions” in the youth categories of the sport, stated in an interview that she came in contact with Sofia Bekatorou after her own testimonies about what she suffered and is willing to speak to the prosecutor, who will call her to testify about her experience.
If the 20-year-old decides to press charges, the man could face charges of sexual harassment of a minor as the statutory limit has not expired.
