Two Romanian men have been arrested for the alleged gang rape of a British tourist in a hotel room on the Greek island of Zakynthos.
The two unnamed men, aged 19 and 28, have been accused of sexually assaulting the 38-year-old British woman at a hotel in the Laganas area in the early hours of Tuesday morning. They have been taken to the Prosecutor's Office of Zakynthos following the alleged rape.
Video 'substantiates' the woman's claims
According to local media outlet Imerazante, a video "substantiates what the British woman claims" in what has been described as a "very serious case." The alleged rape follows numerous cases of reported sexual assaults on the island over the last three months.
Earlier this month, police on Zakynthos denied they were investigating cases of tourists being raped after a hospital union accused them of lax law enforcement. Police on the island have claimed only three cases of rape were reported by tourists over the last three months.
Hospital union reports spike in assaults
However, Michalis Giannakos, president of public healthcare workers' union POEDIN, has claimed his staff have dealt with eight rape cases over a three-week period. He stated: "It is abhorrent and humiliating what is happening to the women, with individuals taking advantage of the state of intoxication in which they may be."
According to Giannakos, an Italian tourist was raped only weeks ago, leaving her with injuries which required specialised medical treatment. He has also stated tourists account for most of the 200 people looking for treatment at the Zakynthos hospital every day during the summer tourist season.
Police defend response
Authorities on the party island have defended their response to reports of rape after the criticism from the union boss. A statement from police said: "During the period from May to August 6, three incidents have been reported to our competent service, for which all procedures provided for by law were immediately followed, in cooperation with the prosecutor's office, forensic and health authorities, and two arrests have been made."
The statement added: "We are dedicated to investigating every report, protecting victims and reliably informing public opinion, solely based on official and confirmed data."
Eurostat figures have revealed sexual violence offences recorded in Greece have surged over the past 14 years, with the number of sexual assaults rising from 511 cases in 2010 to 1,250 in 2024.
