Pimping of 12-year-old in Kolonos: Outrage after prosecutor proposes acquittal on rape charges for main defendant
Mar 13, 2024
Outrage on social media in Greece, after the prosecutor requested the acquittal of 55-year-old businessman Ilias Michos of charges alleging the rape of a 12-year-old girl in downtown Kolonos district of Athens, as well as the charges of coercive pimping and collection of prostitution earnings, citing insufficient evidence.
In contrast, the prosecutor recommended the conviction of the mother of the 12-year-old girl in the trial involving the sexual abuse and exploitation of the minor in 2022.
Michos was arrested in October 2022.
The two main defendants are the businessman who ran a mini-market in Kolonos and the girl’s mother, both of whom allegedly played an instrumental role in the child’s sexual exploitation. The other 26 defendants are accused of having sexual intercourse with the minor as clients, daily kathimerini.gr reported.
The last arrests were made in February 2023.
It should be recalled that police investigation initially spoke of 213 clients who raped the girl, but the names of the 187 suspects were apparently lost in the Greek judicial bureaucracy.
The prosecutor contends that Michos should be found guilty of aggravated abuse of a minor under the age of 14 years by a person entrusted with care, possession of pornographic material involving a minor under 12 years of age without coercion and profiteering, facilitating the minor’s involvement in prostitution, and possession of weapons.
Overall, the prosecutor recommends finding Michos guilty of four charges and acquitting him of three.
According to the prosecutor, the mother should be found guilty of distributing pornography, sharing material of the minor with other defendants and exploitation. An aggravating circumstance is that she was responsible for the minor’s care. The prosecutor stressed that exploitation involves coercion and facilitation through pressure, emotional manipulation, and encouragement for financial gain.
In addition, the prosecutor sought the mother’s conviction for extortion against Ilias Michos’ former spouse.
The public prosecutor’s acquittal proposal of Ilias Michos due to doubts about the crimes of rape and pimping in the form of coercion, has caused outrage among users of social media.
“The Prosecutor’s Office today indirectly legalized pedophilia, since it found no rape of the 12-year-old by Michos, so it obviously accepts his testimony that he “fell in love” with her and finds it legal… Because no one disputes the sexual contacts with the #12-year-old. We’re talking about absolute vomit,” wrote one user on X.
“I say that everything is the child’s fault. she should be in jail with her mom,” posted ironically another one.
Ο εισαγγελέας ζήτησε την αθώωση του λόγω αμφιβολιών!
Λογικό, είπε η 12χρονη δεν βγαίνω στο κλαρί να μαζέψω εμπειρίες??#12χρονη #κολωνος pic.twitter.com/apUbDbaPxg— lolos marios (@lolosmarios) March 13, 2024
“The prosecutor asked for his acquittal due to doubts! Logical, said the 12-year-old, why don’t I go on the streets to gather experiences??,” another user commented.
Για την Εισαγγελέα δεν είναι, απαραίτητα, βιασμός το σεξ με 12χρονη και το νταβατζιλίκι μπορεί να είναι απλώς "διευκόλυνση σε μαστροπεία". Με άλλα λόγια, τα θελε η μικρή. Μα είναι δυνατόν; Τι ντροπή και τι κρίμα! #Κολωνός
— Aggeliki Spanou (@AggelikiSays) March 13, 2024
“For the Prosecutor, having sex with a 12-year-old is not necessarily rape, and pimping can just be “facilitating pimping”. In other words, the little girl wanted it. But is it possible? What a shame and how sad!”
Several users expressed their discomfort as well as their reservations about the way Justice works in Greece and speak of an attempt of cover up.
“We live in the country where the phrase Let the prosecutor intervene immediately, is a threat to the victim #kólovonos #12chroni,” was one comment.
At the same time, support collectives have called for a protest rally at the metro station in Sepolia at 19:00 on Wednesday afternoon and the first protesters have already started to gather.
As expected riot police was sent to the protest area.
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