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The trial of the director Kostopoulos for the rape of Elena Athanasopoulou has started – The 58-year-old denies the accusation

Markela Giannatou, Maria Tzobanaki, Irene Trost and Katerina Didaskalou will testify for the actress - Kostas Arzoglou, Byron Kolasis, Melpo Kostis and Christos Xirogiannis are the witnesses for the accused

Newsroom March 20 02:31

The curtain opened today at the Mixed Jury Court of Athens for another trial that is part of the so-called Greek #metoo.

In particular, the former director of the TV series “Sasmos” Kostas Kostopoulos, who is accused of raping actress Elena Athanasopoulou in July 2010, sits in the dock.

Several actors are in the courtroom to testify as witnesses either for the complainant or for the accused. Among them are Markela Giannatou, Maria Tzobanaki, Irene Trost, while Katerina Didaskalou is also expected to appear to testify.

On the director’s side, Kostas Arzoglou, Byron Kolasis, Melpo Kostis and Christos Xirogiannis, among others, were declared as defence witnesses.

“I completely deny the whole accusation,” Kostopoulos said when asked by the president of the court to comment on the offence for which he is being tried.

The 58-year-old director is sitting in the dock following a lawsuit filed by the actress.

In the complaint, Ms Athanasopoulou claims that she met Mr Kostopoulos in 2009 in the context of her involvement in acting.

However, in the early summer of 2010, when the director proposed to her to go out to dinner and then meet their mutual company in a club, he raped her in the car, according to what the actress claims.

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“I wasn’t feeling well at all and I was afraid I was going to pass out. I told him to leave because I didn’t feel well.

From the moment we left the store until the moment I regained consciousness, I have a blank.

All I remember is that, by the time I opened my eyes and regained consciousness, we were in his car and he had penetrated my body with his genital organ and was intercourse with me without my knowledge and without my consent,” the actress, who is expected to testify in court today, said in her lawsuit.

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