Criminal probe into leaked testimony of woman charged in daughter sex trafficking

The Athens first instance prosecutor’s office on Tuesday ordered an urgent preliminary criminal investigation into leaked testimony of a suspect in an explosive case involving the alleged sexual exploitation and abuse of a 12-year-old girl.

The leaked testimony, in fact, is of the girl’s mother, who was remanded in custody on Monday on felony charges of forcing her daughter into prostitution.

The testimony, given before an investigative magistrate as part of the official judicial investigation of a criminal case, is confidential under Greek law. However, as with several previous high-profile court cases and investigations in the country, testimony and even findings were leaked to the press and then widely reproduced.

Among others, the 37-year-old woman claimed she first confronted the wife of the main suspect in the case, a 57-year-old mini market owner in the working-class central Athens district of Sepolia. However, based on the same media leaks, the second woman did not believe her.

The victim’s mother also said she confronted the main suspect – also jailed pending trial – and wanted to do him harm.

The case has attracted nationwide attention and intense media scrutiny, given indications that several suspects are involved in the girl’s abuse and the prospect of an organized child prostitution ring and possible scores of potential “johns”