A British woman who was raped in Rhodes has accused tour operators of covering up five other sexual assaults on the Greek island this year. The 28-year-old, who lives locally with her Greek husband and three-year-old son, spoke out to warn holidaymakers and tour representatives.
In an interview after being questioned by police, she claimed knowledge of five additional rapes over the past ten days, coinciding with the Greek Easter tourist influx. Two of the alleged victims were British female tour operators, she said. The woman suggested that companies involved were prioritising tourism interests over reporting the crimes.
She declined to name the individuals or firms, but stated they were British. 'I think that in the other cases the individuals or companies involved do not want their names mentioned or for tourism interests to be upset,' she said. She urged women to avoid walking alone at night, not to trust strangers, and to remain strong to aid investigations.
Describing her own attack on Friday night, she said the assailant stuffed her son's underpants in her mouth, punched her head, raped her, and then searched for her child. She escaped by jumping from a window. The rapist spoke good English with an accent and was 'definitely not British,' she added.
Police Chief Ilias Halivopoulos confirmed that no other rapes have been reported to authorities this year. Chief Prosecutor George Economou also stated he had not been notified of any other cases.
