In a decision that reverberated throughout Greece’s theatrical world, the Mixed Jury Court of Appeal in Athens on Tuesday found veteran actor and director Petros Filippidis unanimously guilty of two counts of attempted rape against fellow actresses. The seven-member panel of three professional judges and four lay jurors returned the verdict shortly before midday, rejecting the defense's plea for acquittal after months of often-emotional testimony.
Neither of the two complainants could hold back tears when the foreperson pronounced the word “guilty.” Surrounded by a group of supportive actors who had attended every hearing, they embraced as the courtroom erupted in muted sobs and a single whispered phrase: “We did it.”
Sentencing Debate
After a brief recess, the same bench moved on to sentencing. By a 4-3 majority, the court imposed a single, merged prison term of three years, suspended for an equal period. The majority favoured two years for each crime, served concurrently; one judge and two jurors argued unsuccessfully for a harsher total of six years. Because the sentence was suspended, Filippidis walked out of court a free man, for now.
Equally significant was the court’s unanimous refusal to grant mitigating circumstances for “prior lawful conduct,” a factor that could have reduced the penalty. “This was a clear message that celebrity is not a shield,” a legal observer told efsyn. Go outside the courthouse.
The actor had previously been convicted in February 2023 at first instance and received an eight-year prison term, which was also suspended on appeal. Tuesday’s ruling, therefore, confirms his guilt while cutting the custodial time sharply — a compromise that satisfied neither side completely.
Defense Announces Appeal
“The criminal process does not end here,” lead defence lawyer Michalis Dimitrakopoulos declared on the court steps. He confirmed that his team will file for cassation before the Supreme Court (Areios Pagos), seeking to overturn the verdict due to alleged errors of law and procedure.
“The evidentiary record is thin,” Dimitrakopoulos argued, noting the absence of forensic reports, DNA traces, or phone data. He leaned heavily on an earlier, controversial recommendation by the appellate prosecutor Andreas Karaflos, who only last week had advised acquittal for lack of proof. “We will fight until justice is served,” the lawyer said.
Under Greek law, the Supreme Court does not retry facts but can annul a decision if it finds misapplication of statutes or grave procedural flaws. Should that happen, the case would be sent back to a different appellate court for a fresh hearing.
The Incidents Behind the Charges
The first attempt was reportedly made in 2010 in the dressing room of the iconic Mousetrap Theatre during auditions. The actress testified that Filippidis pushed her against a wall and tried forcibly to remove her clothes. “I screamed ‘Stop!’ but he would not listen,” she told judges, describing a struggle that ended only when she threatened to alert colleagues.
The second incident occurred in 2014, following a business meeting with another actress. According to her testimony, Filippidis offered her a lift home. Instead, they drove into a cul-de-sac in the affluent suburb of Palaio Psychiko, locked the doors, and attempted to rape her inside the car. “He didn’t understand the word ‘no’,” she told the court in a gruelling cross-examination.
Filippidis denied all allegations, calling them “fabrications” motivated by professional jealousy. The court, however, found both women credible and consistent, pointing to supporting testimony from friends to whom the incidents had been disclosed at the time.
A Star’s Rise and Fall
Born in Athens in 1962 and trained at the legendary Karolos Koun Art Theatre, Filippidis became one of Greece’s most bankable comic actors during the 1990s and 2000s. He led hit stage revivals such as “O Bakalogatos” and starred in the TV sitcom “Fifty-Fifty,” earning household-name status.
That reputation began to unravel in early 2021 when three actresses — Anna-Maria Papaharalambous, Lena Drosaki, and Pinelopi Anastassopoulou — filed misconduct complaints with the Greek Actors’ Guild at the height of the country’s #MeToo awakening. State broadcaster ERT promptly removed him from a daily series, and producers cancelled forthcoming shows. Tuesday’s appellate ruling effectively cements his fall from grace.
A Landmark Moment for Greek #MeToo
The Filippidis saga is widely viewed as the first high-profile test of Greece’s still-nascent #MeToo era, ignited in January 2021 by Olympic sailing champion Sofia Bekatorou, who revealed a federation official had sexually assaulted her. Her testimony broke what President Katerina Sakellaropoulou called a national “conspiracy of silence,” spurring athletes, students, and artists to speak out under the hashtag #MeTinSofia (“On Sofia’s side”).
Legal analysts note that, unlike Bekatorou’s case — time-barred for prosecution — the accusations against Filippidis fell within the 15-year statute of limitations for attempted rape, allowing a full trial and culminating in Tuesday’s decision. “Symbolically, it tells victims that delay does not necessarily doom their quest for justice,” said criminologist Maria Poulopoulou.
Reaction from the Arts Community
Outside the courthouse, actors held signs reading “No more silence” and “Believe Survivors,” echoing similar rallies during the Weinstein proceedings in New York. Veteran performer Yannis Stankoglou called the verdict “a turning point” and urged theatres to adopt strict anti-harassment codes. The Hellenic Actors’ Guild, which had already expelled Filippidis last year, said it “welcomes the court’s courage” and vowed to keep offering legal aid to victims.
What Comes Next
Filippidis has 30 days to lodge his Supreme Court petition. If the Areios Pagos rejects it, the three-year suspended sentence will become final; any new offense during the probationary period could result in imprisonment. Civil suits for moral damages also remain possible.
For now, Greece’s entertainment industry is left to weigh the implications. “We have pulled back the curtain,” actress and activist Irene Papadopoulou told reporters, “and what we saw was ugly. The question is whether we close it again or keep the stage lights on.”
Either way, Tuesday’s verdict ensures that the name Petros Filippidis will henceforth be linked less with sold-out comedies and more with a watershed moment in the nation’s reckoning with sexual violence. Greece’s #MeToo movement, no longer an imported hashtag, has written its chapter — in a courtroom where the hush of accountability replaced applause.
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