Three police officers accused of raping a 19-year-old woman inside the Omonia Police Station in Athens have denied the charges, insisting the sexual act was consensual. The incident allegedly occurred in 2022 within the station where the officers were on duty.
Officers’ Testimony
The first defendant acknowledged the encounter but described it as a ‘mistake’, not a crime. ‘If I could turn back time, I wouldn’t have done it,’ he said, calling the act inappropriate—especially given the setting—but maintaining it was consensual. ‘It’s something that doesn’t honor me, my service, or my family. From the very beginning, I admitted it was wrong to engage in a consensual act while on duty at the police station,’ he stated during his testimony.
According to both the officer’s account and the complainant’s initial statement, the young woman approached the officers during their patrol in Thiseio in 2022, citing concerns about her workplace. She later exchanged contact details—including Instagram usernames and phone numbers—with them and subsequently waited for them at the Omonia Police Station.
‘When we arrived at the station, she asked us to accompany her to the duty officer’s office. We waited for the elevator to take her there. But then she told us she’d changed her mind and didn’t want to file a complaint. She asked what room was across the hall—and we told her it was the changing room. There, she told us she was sexually attracted to uniformed officers, open to new experiences, and that the whole complaint had been a pretext to meet us,’ the officer testified.
When asked why he didn’t stop the encounter, he admitted feeling flattered and acknowledged his error in judgment.
Second Officer’s Admission and Camera Footage
The second officer also faces charges of rape and illegal recording. Evidence confirmed he was wearing a body camera mounted on his bulletproof vest during the incident. He admitted the act was a ‘major mistake’, saying the woman approached him, reassured him not to be nervous, expressed attraction, and indicated she wanted to be with him—not the other officer. ‘It was wrong—even though it was consensual… I didn’t pressure her, felt no resistance, and saw no indication she objected. Had I sensed otherwise, I wouldn’t have proceeded. It was wrong to do this while on duty—but she showed no reluctance. The camera recorded, but unintentionally. I didn’t know it was recording; the record button may have been pressed by accident. It was attached to my vest, as I usually wear it,’ he said.
Third Officer: Unit Commander Denies Involvement
The third defendant is the former head of the DIAS (Rapid Response Unit) team. He is charged with complicity in the rape. He testified that he had no knowledge of what occurred in the changing room between the two officers and the woman. Speaking highly of his colleagues, he condemned the incident outright. ‘We all condemned this from the very first moment. I’m in terrible psychological shape right now. I never exchanged Instagram messages or any other contact details with the 19-year-old—and I never sought communication with her. I trusted my colleagues completely… I never expected them to do something like this. I knew they were in relationships and were on duty…’