Described as a man who was overly ‘flirtatious’ and manipulative, the 63-year-old gym teacher arrested in Heraklion for allegedly raping a minor reportedly gained parents’ trust—and silence—by erasing their children’s absences. A mother of one student spoke out on Friday (04.07.2025) during an interview on ANT1’s morning show ‘To Proini,’ revealing that her daughter was not the only victim.
According to the report, the accused took advantage of the family’s trust, allegedly molesting the girl twice—once on a ferry returning from Athens after a competition, and again at his home. Despite widespread awareness of his alleged misconduct, many chose not to report him due to his promise to delete students’ absence records.
The former gym teacher also reportedly harassed female colleagues, forcing one cleaner to quit her job to escape his behavior. He had worked at the school for three years, with rumors about his inappropriate conduct circulating from the beginning. Some were aware he used crude language toward female students but stayed silent.
“There are girls who have been victims of sexual harassment and should come forward,” the mother stated. “What can I say about the parents who defended him, only later to learn he was buying their silence? Even a school cleaner was sexually harassed by him, and she left the job to get away. He knew how to hide these incidents well so they wouldn’t reach the public. He didn’t want anyone to know what was happening at his school.”
Authorities are now investigating further allegations, urging potential victims or witnesses to come forward.