Editorial Ta Nea: Support

If one googles the word rape in Greek what comes up first is “rape of a 24-year-old woman”.

The charges of the victim garnered attention not only in Thessaloniki but nationwide.

All the new evidence that has come to light confirms the existence of a culture of which no contemporary Western society would be proud.

Yet, the developments in this case – one year after the emergence of the #ΜeΤoo movement in Greece – can be read in reverse. A young woman had the courage to immediately go to authorities and not remain silent.

The public was not only shocked but also supportive of the victim, condemning in the collective consciousness the perpetrators of this heinous crime.

In the often chaotic public discussion of the case in the social media, one can discern the first steps toward an important shift. More and more people now understand that they have an obligation to stand by women who have come out and have made charges of sexual violence or harassment.

Supporting these women – and disdain for those who believe they have the right to exert physical or psychological violence against them – is a moral duty that we all share.

That is the only way such behaviours can be eradicated.