Trial of former National Theatre head Dimitris Lignadis begins

The trial of Dimitris Lignadis, the former head of the National Theatre of Greece, has commenced at the Mixed Jury Court of Appeals. The defendant faces charges related to three counts of raping minors. During the first session, a 29-year-old witness of Ukrainian origin, who is one of the three original accusers, provided testimony. The witness detailed an alleged encounter from 2015 when he was 16 years old, stating that Lignadis approached him via Facebook after seeing him in the Agios Pavlos neighborhood. The witness testified that he was drawn to the defendant due to a difficult personal background, including family issues and bullying at school, and an interest in the arts. He alleged that Lignadis targeted vulnerable minors and adjusted his approach based on their specific weaknesses. The proceedings will continue with further testimonies from the remaining accusers.