The Mixed Jury Court of Thessaloniki imposed a seven-year prison sentence on a 26-year-old from Bulgaria who is accused of attempting to rape and beat a female student nearby, in March 2023.
The defendant was found guilty of attempted rape and dangerous bodily harm, with no mitigating circumstances found. His appeal has no suspensive effect and so he will return to prison, where he has been held since his arrest.
According to the indictment, the incident took place on March 18, 2023, when the accused saw the young woman sitting at a bus stop, approached her and following seducing her to a secluded spot, tried to rape her and beat her.
The student fought with him and managed to escape.
In his apology, he claimed that he had no intention of raping the student. “I liked her and approached her. I started petting her, she got scared and started screaming. I said in Bulgarian “relax, I want to meet”. He started running and fell downhill. I went to catch her and fell with her. I just wanted to pet her. I apologise. I didn’t know it was illegal to fondle someone,” he said, among other things, claiming he was under the influence of drugs.
Regarding the second incident, which preceded the first, he claimed that he had no intention of raping that girl either but approached her and groped her because… he liked her.
It is noted that the 19-year-old student did not testify in court, but was examined remotely with a written statement.
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