Greek President Praises Olympic Medalist for Revealing Abuse
Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou meets Sophia Bekatorou on Monday. Credit: www.presidency.gr
Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou praised on Monday the courage of Olympian Sophia Bekatorou for speaking out against sexual abuse in sport.
Sakellaropoulou said that her meeting with Bekatorou at the Presidential mansion in Athens was “a minimal recognition of the bravery and dignity with which she shared her traumatic experience.”
Last week, the veteran sailing champion opened the Pandora’s Box by detailing the assault she suffered, when she was at the peak of her career, at the hands of an important figure involved with the Hellenic Sailing Federation.
Tuesday, 19 January 2021
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) has suspended its grant to the Hellenic Sailing Federation over the response to Sofia Bekatorou saying she was sexually abused in 1998 by a high-ranking member of the organisation.
Bekatorou, who won gold in the 470 class at her home Olympic Games in Athens, made the allegation during an online conference organised by Greece’s Sports Ministry.
The 43-year-old said a male official performed a lewd act after inviting her to his hotel room to discuss preparations for the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
She said the act was not consensual.
Bekatorou said she did not open up about the abuse at the time due to the fear it would be devastating for her life dream and divide the Greek sailing team .
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece s first female president met Olympic sailing champion Sofia Bekatorou on Monday to express her support for the athlete who publicly claimed she had been sexually
Prominent female athlete and multiple Olympic Games medallist in sailing, Sofia Bekatorou, has spoken out about being sexually abused by a sports official during her preparations for the Sydney Olympic Games (2000).
Though Bekatorou did not reveal the official’s name at first, press reports said Aristeides Adamopoulos – an official of the Hellenic Sailing Federation and currently a member of the ruling New Democracy party – was the one who molested her.
Following the revelations, Adamopoulos, who has denied any wrongdoing, was immediately suspended, but he was also condemned by all political parties including Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis himself.
As the Athens public prosecutor’s office will initiate an urgent investigation, Bekatorou will either testify on Monday or Tuesday.
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