tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35408230810590795202024-03-13T06:31:31.945-07:00The Beginning of the End“By not coming forward (about rape), you make yourself a victim forever.”
— Kelly McGillisNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01351731442236000266noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540823081059079520.post-8404445527507781662012-01-08T15:55:00.001-08:002012-01-08T15:55:55.099-08:00Update on the TrialBecause of a lawyers' strike and a general strike, the hearing of the case scheduled for October 19, 2011 has been postponed until June 15, 2012.Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01351731442236000266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540823081059079520.post-4479281584895348322011-02-03T07:00:00.000-08:002011-02-03T07:00:39.384-08:00PostponedDue to a lawyers' strike, the trial has been postponed, again, until October 18th, 2011.<br />
<br />
There is nothing to say that hasn't already been said, except maybe what's below. A few months ago, before this postponement, a man named Nikolaos G. Lykomitros heard about this story, and wrote a poem. I'm so touched by his words and, now, his friendship and support in this case. Thank you, Nick. <br />
<br />
(English translation below.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>STILNOX (Η ΔΙΚΑΙΟΣΥΝΗ ΕΙΝΑΙ ΤΥΦΛΗ)</b><br />
<br />
Περιπλανιέσαι στους αρχαιολογικούς χώρους <br />
με εκείνη τη χαρακτηριστική ανεμελιά των επισκεπτών. <br />
Μυρίζεις τον αέρα και προσπαθείς <br />
να αναπαραστήσεις στο μυαλό σου <br />
την ατμόσφαιρα εκείνων των ημερών. <br />
Ένας άγνωστος προσφέρεται να σε ξεναγήσει. <br />
Δέχεσαι· γιατί, όχι, άλλωστε; <br />
Μοιράζεσαι μαζί του το φαγητό <br />
και τον ακολουθείς στα δρομάκια της πόλης...<br />
Ξυπνάς σε ένα άδειο κρεβάτι. <br />
Ζαλίζεσαι. Δεν ξέρεις που βρίσκεσαι. <br />
Είσαι παραβιασμένη... <br />
Stilnox. <br />
Αυτό είναι! Stilnox!<br />
<br />
Κι εκείνος κυκλοφορεί ακόμα ελεύθερος. <br />
Μέχρι την επόμενη φορά <br />
και την επόμενη αναβολή της δίκης.<br />
<br />
Η Δικαιοσύνη είναι τυφλή!<br />
Η Δικαιοσύνη είναι τυφλή! <br />
Ίσως να της έδωσαν Stilnox. <br />
Αυτό θα ήταν μια κάποια εξήγηση.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>STILNOX (JUSTICE IS BLIND)</b> <br />
<br />
You wander in the archaeological sites <br />
with that characteristic insouciance of visitors. <br />
You smell the air and you try <br />
to recreate the atmosphere of those days in your mind. <br />
A stranger offers to show you around. <br />
You accept; Why shouldn’t you? <br />
You share food with him and you follow him <br />
in the alleys of the city...<br />
<br />
You wake up in an empty bed. <br />
You are dizzy. You do not know where you are. <br />
You have been violated... <br />
Stilnox. <br />
That’s it! Stilnox!<br />
<br />
And he still walks free. <br />
Until the next time <br />
and the next postponement of the trial.<br />
<br />
Justice is blind!<br />
Justice is blind! <br />
Perhaps she has been Stilnoxed too. <br />
That would be some sort of an explanation.Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01351731442236000266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540823081059079520.post-23432182047868505122011-01-11T05:31:00.000-08:002011-01-11T05:31:53.965-08:00Translated article from To Vima, January 9, 2011<b>“Greece let my rapist walk free”</b><br />
<br />
Canadian journalist Natalie Karneef, five and a half years after her rape in Athens, talks about her fight for justice<br />
<br />
By Elli Ismailidou, Athens, Sunday, January 9th, 2011<br />
<br />
She woke up in a hotel room with a bad headache, with a strange man next to her. Her head felt heavy and the dizziness did not allow her to collect her thoughts. What had happened? It was the afternoon of August 29th, 2005 and a stranger had raped the Canadian journalist who was at that time traveling alone in our country. He had drugged her using a strong tranquilizer, carried her to his hotel and raped her. When she woke up, he escorted her to the hostel where she was staying and he disappeared.<br />
<br />
It took her few hours to realize what had happened and few months to find out that three more female tourists had reported being raped in the same way, from the same man. What she certainly could not imagine was that the Greek Justice system would delay for years the trial. Five and a half years after her rape, after six trial postponements, expenses of thousands of Euros, and while the accused (and convicted for first degree rape for five years in prison for one of the rapes) walks a free man, Natalie Karneef talks to “BHMA” about the fight which she refuses to give up, looking ahead to the 26th of January, when the seventh trial, “might finally bring justice” as she says.<br />
<br />
<br />
“By hiding a rape, you become a victim forever” is the first sentence that appears on the blog of Ms. Karneef which she maintains aiming to inform the public about the rape cases of her and three other tourists (one Danish woman and two Australian) in Athens. As time went by, this sentence became a life philosophy for the 33 year old journalist and writer; therefore she does not hesitate to talk in every detail about everything that took place in August 2005. “I was travelling alone in Greece and that noon I was walking in Plaka. An unknown man approached me, asked me if I needed directions and offered to show me around Acropolis. It was noon, with the area of Plaka full of people. There was no reason for me to worry. So I accepted,” says Ms. Karneef. She found it strange that the man suggested repeatedly that she could eat something, but she did not pay attention. Finally he entered a shop and returned with a pastry cut into two pieces, offering her persistently the one piece. “He was also eating it so I did not think there could be danger. I remember the taste was unpleasant, bitter. But I had burned my lips and thought that the bitter taste was coming from the medication I had put on the wound” she adds.<br />
<br />
Her adventure at the hospitals<br />
<br />
In reality the bitter taste was coming from “Stilnox” a powerful tranquilizer which contains the substance Zolpidem Hemitartrate and causes a condition of heavy drunkenness, or even deep sleep. When she woke up from the lethargy, Ms. Karneef had to go to three different hospitals to diagnose her condition, because the doctors were declaring to be unauthorized since they had no medical examiner. “Finally we found a medical examiner the next day, who still did not write up a report. But he did so in 2010! How could it be that he remembers his findings after five years?” she wonders. However, this was not the only breach of protocol of the Greek authorities, according to the Canadian journalist. In reality, with the procedure that was followed, it would be impossible to find the rapist, if the Danish tourist had not reported a new rape (the fourth in a series). Then, thanks to testimonies, the accused was arrested and the case of serial rapes was brought to justice.<br />
<br />
A court marathon<br />
<br />
The next five years have been a continuous hardship for Ms. Karneef with six trial attempts and six postponements. Thousands of Euros wasted in plane tickets, the value of which was never reimbursed by the Greek State. The only bright moment in this five year marathon was the conviction of the accused in 2007 for the rape of the Danish tourist, who, however, after a suspended sentence, was released a free man and is waiting for the hearing of the appeal. At the same time, in July of 2007, by fault of the Greek authorities, Ms. Karneef was not subpoenaed on time and could not appear in court. As a result, she was convicted for defaulting witnesses and until today the court refuses to annul the conviction. “Can you imagine that I might be arrested next time I visit Greece?” she says jokingly, but turns into serious right away: “My goal is not vengeance. I do not believe in “an eye for an eye”. I want to protect all those women who are in danger of becoming victims like myself, when the rapist is still at large. Even if one woman is saved, to me that will be a gain,” she emphasizes.<br />
<br />
Asking her if even in the sound of the name “Greece” she shivers, Ms. Karneef is firm. “I am married to a Greek-Canadian and I have managed to see the positive aspects of your country, without generalizing the negatives. Quite often, even I feel more like a Greek rather than a Canadian with regard to certain issues. But when it comes to the justice system, my opinion is crystal clear: “Greek Justice” is an oxymoron,” she adds.<br />
<br />
Appeal to the European court<br />
<br />
Seeing her case in a stagnant state with the Greek justice system, Ms. Karneef decided to appeal against Greece in the European Court of Human Rights, with the legal aid of The Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM). Talking to “BHMA”, the representative of GHM Mr. Panayotis Dimitras explains that the European Court has repeatedly concluded that the excessive and unjustified delay in serving justice equals violation of the right to a fair trial, as is guaranteed by the European Constitution of Human Rights. Therefore, we are almost certain that in the case of Ms. Karneef we can get the conviction of Greece.Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01351731442236000266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540823081059079520.post-24392533686349542762011-01-11T05:28:00.001-08:002011-01-11T05:28:35.273-08:00Article in To Vima, January 9, 2011Click <a href="http://www.tovima.gr/default.asp?pid=2&ct=1&artId=376918&dt=09%2F01%2F2011">here</a> for the article that appeared in To Vima on Sunday, January 9th, 2011. Translation to follow.Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01351731442236000266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540823081059079520.post-29943536669995575762010-04-17T07:01:00.001-07:002010-04-17T09:34:27.213-07:00THE ACCUSEDThis has been scanned the article from Veto, published in Greece on April 3, 2010.<br /><br />PLEASE forward this to anyone you know living in, or traveling to, Athens. <br /><br />Please tell them: <br /><br />THIS MAN HAS BEEN <span style="font-weight:bold;">CONVICTED</span> OF DRUGGING AND RAPING ONE WOMAN, AND STANDS ACCUSED OF RAPING THREE MORE WOMEN THE SAME WAY, <span style="font-style:italic;">BUT HAS NOT SERVED A DAY OF HIS SENTENCE</span>. HE IS STILL WALKING FREE IN ATHENS.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3JJUHSQcSe8/S8nAOyRjhHI/AAAAAAAAAHA/t4Ltqqd-Ngs/s1600/Veto+article+page+3.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 224px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3JJUHSQcSe8/S8nAOyRjhHI/AAAAAAAAAHA/t4Ltqqd-Ngs/s400/Veto+article+page+3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461107383409542258" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3JJUHSQcSe8/S8nAeGxw60I/AAAAAAAAAHI/MiOA92_-tdI/s1600/THE+ACCUSED+.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 235px; height: 298px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3JJUHSQcSe8/S8nAeGxw60I/AAAAAAAAAHI/MiOA92_-tdI/s400/THE+ACCUSED+.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461107646611385154" /></a>Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01351731442236000266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540823081059079520.post-52020519404015251372010-04-12T12:12:00.000-07:002010-04-12T12:45:18.652-07:00Translation of VETO articleFor 33 year old Natalie Karneef, a writer and associate of Canadian radio station CBC, a trip from the opposite side of the Atlantic to our country was not so pleasant. As soon as she stepped foot in El. Venizelos Airport in Athens, dark memories from the summer of 2005 filled her mind.<br /><br />It was then that a walk around the tiny alleyways of Plaka turned ugly, thanks to Emanouel Aristovoulos, who showed Natalie his own kind of Greek hospitality. The 54-year old offered Natalie a tour around the Acropolis and what happened next could very easily be part of a blockbuster crime movie: first a little chat about this and that, then hidden sleeping pills inside her food... then dizziness... a hotel.. and rape.<br /><br />According to the courts, that same summer, Aristovoulos used the exact same method on three other victims: two from Australia and one from Denmark.<br /><br />Last Monday morning Nathalie buried all her fears about once again confronting the man who stigmatized her and, with the support of Panayote Dimitras from the Greek department of the Helsinski Monitor for Human Violations and lawyer Thanasis Tartis, she appeared in the Athens court where the trial woul take place. Still, her desire to tell the court what happened in her own words was left unfulfilled. The lawyer of the accused. Ms. Zoe Konstantopoulou, claimed that because of her need to attend another case, the trial should be postponed. Ms. Konstantopoulou is part of the Aleksis Grigoropoulos case which takes place in Amfissa. The court postponed the trial once again (for the sixth time!) and sent Natalie back to Canada without showing the least sympathy for her struggle for justice. The Canadian writer will attend the rescheduled trial in January 2011.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Natalie talks to VETO</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">"Both myself and Dana, the other victim who attended this "procedure", feel devastated. I feel angry and deceived. I cannot believe that I went through all this trouble for nothing."</span><br /><br />I met her on her birthday. She is 33 years old today, but instead of giving me cake, she offers me food for thought. Food for thought that left me troubled... about her experiences with the whole Greek justice system and how they treated her, from the first cop to even the judges... troubled about why the accused has only gone through one trial.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">How did you meet the accused?</span><br /><br />I was on a long trip through Europe and I visited Greece as a part of that trip. One morning I was strolling around the Plaka in downtown Athens when a man approached me and asked something I don't recall. When he realized I was not Greek he offered to take me on a tour of the area. He claimed he had good knowledge of Athens and history. He claimed that he was a pilot for Air France and that he was living in Paris.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">And then?</span><br /><br />I went with him to the ancient theatre of Dionysus. He began insisting that I have some food, and, finally, I agreed. He went off and returned holding a cheesepie cut in two. I didn't feel threatened so I ate the food. After, he took me somewhere close to the Acropolis. Then we went to a bar [note: by this time I was no longer fully conscious of what was happening] where I had a colourless drink. The next thing I remember is waking up in a strange room. I was so dizzy that I couldn't even see straight. Everything was blurry, like a dream... I remember sitting inside a cab and finally, I remember waking up in my hostel room. It was then when I realized that this man had used me in order to have sex with me without my consent.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">I assume you went staraight to the police...</span><br /><br />I went to the Neos Kosmos police station first, but they told me there was nothing they could do! Then I went to the Acropoleos station. They asked me a bunch of questions: what happened? What did the man look like? They took me to 3 different hospitals to get examined. All 3 refused to examine me.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Why?</span><br /><br />They said they had no forensic doctor present at the time. They were not rude or anything, but I simply cannot believe that the accused has commited 3 other rapes and victims cannot see justice because Greek hospitals don't have the right personnel or anyone in charge to take matters into their own hands. They told me to go back to my room and NOT to shower until the next day. It was the worst night of my life. The next morning, the police took me to see the forensic doctor.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">How hard is it for you to forget that day?</span><br /><br />I will never forget it. I feel weird when I see men that have the same age or characteristics as the accused. I feel fear whenever I'm in Greece alone. What makes it even harder is that my husband is Greek and we come here often.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Tell us your feelings about the fact that the man who raped you is still walking free.</span><br /><br />It's ridiculous. A country cannot or won't throw in jail a man who was convicted once for rape and accused another three times!! That summer he was charged in the rape of four women. All his victims strongly believe that there other women who were attacked by the same person out there but they are simply too scared to come forward.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What are your thoughts on the Greek justice system? I sense many of them aren't positive. </span> <br /><br />Since Day One, the way my case was handled has been ridiculous. First of all, the accused has been on trial only for 1 out of 4 cases-the rape of a woman back in 2007 - because the courts subpoenaed the rest of us at the addresses of the hotels we were staying at <span style="font-style:italic;">when we were visiting Athens</span>. Then, when they decided that they would subpoena me in my country, they broke their own law about allowing 60 days notice before a trial and sent the subpoena too late. The result was that I was convicted for missing my own trial in 2007. And last Monday, the court refused to drop my fine. <br /><br />The trial was postponed again the trial because the accused man's lawyer claimed she had to attend a serious case outside Athens during that same period - a case she had taken on just a week ago. And even if that hadn't happened the trial would still get another date since the court translator, despite being officially notified of the trial by the court, was absent. All this is disgusting. It's a shame, a circus! It is something no one would expect from a country that is a member of the European Union.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">My last question: how is your life today? What is your message to all other rape victims</span>?<br /><br />My life is good. I feel lucky. I reminding myself: that day could very easily have been my last. Or, I could have been infected with AIDS. I am married to a fantastic person and I live in a fantastic country. But the case still weighs on my mind even today, 5 later. Now, I have to come back to Greece in January. Lord knows how many more times I will have to travel and face the pathetic Greek justice system. As for other rape victims... I strongly believe that all victims should try to find the courage to come forward with their stories. It's not shameful. Being raped is never the woman's fault.Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01351731442236000266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540823081059079520.post-13342787269117281392010-04-06T11:01:00.000-07:002010-04-06T11:51:14.338-07:00Translation of Ta Nea Article<span style="font-style:italic;">My deepest thanks to everyone who sent or offered to send a translation of this article. </span><br /><br />An interview to Stavros Theodorakis<br /><br />Published Saturday March 27, 2010<br /><br />She agreed to meet with me under one condition: that I pick her up from the metro station. We could have a cup of coffee and discuss whatever I wanted, but after that I was to return her back to the metro station. She did not want to walk by herself on the streets of Athens. <br /><br />As I waited for her at the exit of the Megaro Mousikis metro station, I wondered how it was possible for a woman to be so scared. I had read her whole story in the papers: she was a tourist in Athens in 2005. At the Acropolis she was drugged and then raped. The police mishandled it, the trial still has not taken place. <br /><br />On her blog, Natalie announced that she was returning to Athens, in an ultimate effort to put her rapist in trial. Men and women from Montreal have sent her messages of moral support and are writing harsh comments with respect to the Greek Justice system. Everybody knows that her effort to bring her rapist to justice started in August 2005. A picture on her blog has a message for all men: “Real men don't rape”. It is written in red ink on the belly of a half-naked woman.<br /><br />The day of our meeting is Natalie's 33rd birthday. She is wearing a light dress and sandals, of course – Canadians are always warm in our city, even in March – and carries two bags. One holds the paperwork of her case. She has a hesitant smile, until we reach the coffee place. Her look is investigative. She is a journalist herself, at CBC radio. She's also writing a book. "About the whole trip I took, not just what happened to me here," she clarifies. She is surprised by my interest on her adventure.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Do you feel uncomfortable talking about that day?</span><br />Not at all. You may ask me whatever you like.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Could you talk about it at any time? Even from the first day?</span><br />At any time, but maybe I was a little hesitant at first.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">So, what happened?</span><br />I was traveling: a trip around Europe that lasted one year. One of my stops was in Greece.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Alone?</span><br />I was not alone. I made friends at every stop.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">And what happened in Athens?</span><br />I met a man during one of my walking tours around the city . He asked me something … I do not know exactly what. As if he were looking for a street. When he realized I was not Greek, he offered to guide me a little around the city.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3JJUHSQcSe8/S7uCe1P5a_I/AAAAAAAAAGo/jsJ7Hp3cWdE/s1600/Photos+Aug+11+to+Sept+7+2005+179.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3JJUHSQcSe8/S7uCe1P5a_I/AAAAAAAAAGo/jsJ7Hp3cWdE/s320/Photos+Aug+11+to+Sept+7+2005+179.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457098839690931186" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Natalie Karneef (left) in summer of 2005 with a friend in Athens. The trip changed her life.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Did you trust him?</span><br />I was not suspicious. There was no reason to be. It was going to be a small tour around the Acropolis, in public. He was around 45 years old, neither attractive, nor unattractive. A regular man - at least that’s what he looked like.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">How did you get from the Acropolis to the hotel?</span><br />At some point he said he was hungry. He bought a cheese pastry snack. [Tiropita.] I saw him enter a snack store [note: this is incorrect - I didn't see him enter, the shop where he bought the pie from was not within sight] and when he returned he offered me half of it. When someone shares the food he is eating, there is no reason to worry!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">So you ate it without understanding anything?</span><br />It was a little bitter but I did not pay attention. Afterwards, I started feeling foggy. My head was heavy, but my body wasn't. I could walk normally, but my head continued to get foggier. The next thing I remember, I woke up on a hotel bed with this man next to me. I can only remember that as an image. I could not react. My head was still feeling very foggy. We left the room and he took me to the hostel where I was staying, probably by taxi. The images are confused in my head. I remember a friend of mine in the hostel being worried. When I recovered, I realized I had been raped.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">When did you go to the police?</span><br />Right away. In the first police station, they basically told me that they could not do anything. I insisted, and went to a second police station. Eventually they told me to go to a hospital. I visited three hospitals so they could be certain I was raped and to find out which drug substance I had been given. [note: this is incorrect. I visited three hospitals because none would examine me, each claiming not to have a forensic doctor on staff.] I felt very uncomfortable going from one doctor to another, repeating the same story.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Didn’t the doctors support you and advise you of what you should do?</span><br />Not at all. I visited one private doctor from the UK later on. He told me to take the morning after pill and how long I should wait before being tested for STDs.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What had he put in the cheese pastry snack?</span><br />A very strong sleeping drug, Stillnox. He had used the same substance to drug the other young women too. That is how he became known to the police - as "the cheese pie rapist". <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Did you file a complaint before you left?</span><br />Yes, I left. But I was in constant contact to find out if they had captured him. [note: I wasn't in contact. I learned he'd been captured when a friend in Montreal saw an article off the Canadian wire.] Finally I found out that he was arrested for raping a Danish young woman. He was convicted, stayed in prison for a short while, and then he was released. [note: we have since learned that the accused has served no prison time.]<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Tell me about your own adventure in the court.</span><br />I was not even notified about the first two trials. The third time I was subpoenaed was past the point they were legally supposed to subpoena me. I could not make the trip and I was fined 220 Euros. A strike of the court employees and a sickness of the accused followed, and here we are today with another postponement - the sixth.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What happened this week?</span><br />The trial was postponed for January 2011. The defendant’s lawyer claimed she is busy with another trial outside Athens - a case she took on only last week. I told them that I had traveled from Canada, but they already knew that. I asked them if they could have a break and have the trial the following week. No result. [note: I never asked this as the trial was officially postponed and neither Dana nor I were allowed to make any sort of statement in court.]<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3JJUHSQcSe8/S7uB8vAbEbI/AAAAAAAAAGg/n-9n7UkzjUw/s1600/Ta+Nea+image.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 166px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3JJUHSQcSe8/S7uB8vAbEbI/AAAAAAAAAGg/n-9n7UkzjUw/s320/Ta+Nea+image.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457098253899862450" /></a><br /> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Were you disappointed?</span><br />Well, the court did everything possible to avoid having a trial. Even if the defendant’s side did not ask for a postponement, the case could not proceed, because the official interpreter was absent!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Did the defendant come to court?</span><br />Yes. He appeared self-assured, as if he were certain that nothing could happen to him. He didn't show remorse... he walked around the courtroom as if he owned the place.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Will you feel better if he is imprisoned?</span><br />I do not believe “an eye for an eye” always works. But I believe we should not allow him to do the same thing to other women that he did to me.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">In how many rape cases is he involved?</span><br />Besides mine, he has done the same to two young women: one from Australia and one from Denmark. [note: there is another Australian victim who has chosen not to come forward.] But to be honest, I believe there have been more. There have to have been more. They are simply afraid to talk or have been disappointed by the authorities and did not wish to continue. This is the reason I talk about my adventure: to instigate women to talk.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Will you be present in the following trial, in 2011?</span><br />Definitely. Even though I had told my husband that, if there were no trial this time, I would put all of this behind me and never deal with it again. But I cannot do that. I will keep insisting until he faces the court. But I've never wanted anything to be over in my life more than this. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Have you found supporters in your adventure?</span><br />Many. But not from the Justice system. In the court room I was feeling that everybody was looking at me with hostility. Aside from Panagiotis Dimitras and Nafsika Papanikolaou from the Greek Helsinki Monitor, who were by my side and made me feel secure, I have a bad opinion about your courts. Greek justice to me is an absolute oxymoron.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Will you keep coming to Greece for vacation?</span><br />Of course. I am married to a Greek-Canadian from Nafpaktos! I never said that all Greek men are bad.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">When did you meet your husband?</span><br />A long time ago. [note: not that long!] When this happened to me, I thought, "I know a good Greek who could help me with all this bureaucracy."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Does he speak Greek?</span><br />All Canadian Greeks speak Greek! They speak Greek, cook Greek, and live as Greeks even though many of them have no contact with Greeks from Greece. In Canada we say that for Greeks the time stopped in 1957! [note (esp. to all Greeks): I didn't say it quite like this and certainly meant no offense by saying this!]<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Are you afraid to walk in Athens?</span><br />Yes. I do not like walking by myself in Athens. I cannot tell you exactly what I am afraid of, but I am afraid. I know that the odds of something similar happening to me again are very slim. But then I think: this man is walking free. What if I see him? How will I react?<br /><br />***********************************************<br /><br />The rapist hides behind postponements<br /><br />The man accused for repeatedly raping the Canadian Natalie Karneef is also accused for raping two Australian women.<br /><br />In 2005, the police arrested the man (whose initials are E.A.) with the help of a fourth victim from Denmark. He was sentenced then to five years in prison for raping the Danish tourist, but was released from prison after approximately 18 months. [note: again, as far as I am aware, he never served any prison time.]<br /><br />For the first two trials (in 2006 and 2007) the victims were subpoenaed at the addresses of the hotels where they were staying as tourists in 2005! For the third time, the Justice notified the victims in their countries but past due time! In 2008 the victims were finally notified properly, but the trial was canceled due to a strike of the court employees.<br /><br />The next trial was set for 2009, but the defendant became sick and the trial was postponed for March 22, 2010.<br /><br />The Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM) who provides legal assistance to Natalie Karneef free of charge, believes that from 2005 until today the Justice system took actions and made decisions that “facilitated” in a consistent way a person accused for repeated rapes.<br /><br />The GHM also denounces the absence of an interpreter for the second trial in a row, something that, in a way, ensured that it was impossible to proceed with the trial.<br />The court did not in any way punish the interpreter who was absent, even though he was officially requested by the District Attorney’s office (the same had happened during the trial in 2009). At the same time, the court ignored Natalie Karneef’s request to recall her conviction for having been absent during the trial set in 2007, even though it was obvious from the documents that she had not been notified properly in Canada. The GHM also denounces the Medical Examiner for not having filed a report after examining Natalie Karneef in 2005, and asks the indictment against police officers, court judges and District Attorneys, who tolerated for years the absence of the report from the legal brief.<br /><br />For all these, GHM will turn to the European Court of Human Rights, and seek a conviction of Greece for not properly serving justice.Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01351731442236000266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540823081059079520.post-72425746393727781542010-04-01T01:34:00.001-07:002010-04-01T01:34:57.565-07:00Facebook GroupPlease join <a href="http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#!/group.php?gid=103775259660617">our Facebook group</a> for updates and discussions on the case.Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01351731442236000266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540823081059079520.post-46853047986574448042010-04-01T01:07:00.000-07:002010-04-01T01:09:46.975-07:00TranslationA translation of the Ta Nea article, as well as the article that appeared in Eleftherotypia, will be posted shortly. Giant, enormous thanks to all who offered their help, and for every letter of support that has poured in over the last week.Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01351731442236000266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540823081059079520.post-29249813889879933952010-03-27T10:34:00.001-07:002010-03-27T10:36:30.046-07:00Ta NeaToday's piece in Ta Nea. <br /><br /><br />http://cm.greekhelsinki.gr/uploads/2010_files/ghm1282_canadian_rape_victim_greek.doc<br /><br />I tried to run it through Google translate but let's just say a lot of meaning was lost. If anyone at all is willing to translate it to English, I'd be so grateful. Drop me a line at natalie@nataliekarneef.com and I will get back to you.<br /><br />Peace from Switzerland.Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01351731442236000266noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540823081059079520.post-36941559493747153822010-03-25T12:51:00.000-07:002010-03-25T12:53:11.037-07:00Out of HereMy travel agent, God bless her, got me a flight to Zurich tomorrow. I'll be flying back to Montreal on Friday, April 2nd. More updates as things change/progress with the trial. Thank you, once again, for your support.Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01351731442236000266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540823081059079520.post-65923151208057799282010-03-24T06:37:00.000-07:002010-03-24T07:46:18.514-07:00Air Unfair, or, "We can't allow this."This doesn't directly have anything to do with the case. I just need to share the kind of bullshit, pardon my French, that comes with being summoned to Greece for a trial.<br /><br />As instructed by the Greek courts, I bought a changeable, economy ticket. I chose a random return date of April 3rd, assuming, as I had been warned repeatedly, that the trial would last longer than that, but knowing that it if didn't, I could change my flight. However, it seems all seats in my class between now and April 3rd have been booked, and if I change it, it's going to cost me a mint.<br /><br />Of course this wouldn't be a problem if the ticket was going to be reimbursed anytime soon. But according to Dana, the first time she traveled here it took a year before she was paid back. I even offered to not use the first part of the ticket, fly to Switzerland (my stopover) on my own dime, and then stay there until April 3rd and fly home as scheduled on the 2nd half of the ticket. I explained to the woman at the SwissAir office in Athens, bawling, that I was here because of a trial against the man who raped me, and could I please, please just catch my flight in Zurich.<br /><br />"No," she snapped. "We can't allow this."<br /><br />It's infuriating. I just want to go home, and I can't. And I hate that no one, not the Greek government, not even SwissAir who I always loved for handing out little cups of Haagen Dazs on a flight I took years ago, can do anything. <br /><br />Sorry, SwissAir. But that was uncalled for.Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01351731442236000266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540823081059079520.post-38983125966941214032010-03-24T03:14:00.000-07:002010-03-24T07:15:45.751-07:00DanaOne of the most haunting experiences of this trip was meeting Dana.<br /><br />This was Dana's <span style="font-weight:bold;">third time</span> coming to Athens for this trial. Even though I went through official channels to inform the Greek government I wouldn't be attending the 2007 trial, no one told Dana, and she came. In 2009, when her embassy was told that I wouldn't be present, they didn't pass on the message, and she showed up once again. It eases my conscience a bit to know that the 2009 trial wasn't postponed due to my absence, but the defendant's, who was supposedly "too ill" that day to come to court. <br /><br />But I never heard her story, as told by her, until this past Sunday. Sitting in the lawyer's office, listening to the translation of the statement she gave the police (and her corrections of it, as neither of our statements were recorded as we told them,) was insanely difficult. It so closely mirrored my own, yet also had its own, unique set of horrendous side stories. <br /><br />But as twisted as it sounds, one of my greatest comforts in all of this was knowing that Dana is fighting the same fight. <br /><br />Below, Dana's official statement. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">"I am extremely disappointed and frustrated by yesterday's outcome. I feel that I have done everything that the Court has asked of me. Having been summoned to attend on four occasions [this includes the 2008 trial which was canceled due to a strike] and making arrangements on all of those four occasions, I have yet again been turned away without ANY progress in the case. In deferring our case because the defense lawyer has made a commitment to another case, no matter how significant, means that the Court prioritizes her time and commitments over my own and Natalie's. <br /><br />It is not easy for us to attend and we also have commitments, including work commitments, which we forgo in order that we can attend. I feel that the defense lawyer has committed to a work load that she is not able to effectively manage and the Court's decision yesterday suggest that it supports that. Recognizing that the decision made yesterday cannot be reversed, I expect that when I attend once again in January 2011, that the Court will hear the case efficiently, effectively and to its conclusion."</span><br /><br />I couldn't have said it better. Dana, thank you with everything I've got for being a part of this. Together we're greater than the sum of our parts. I have so much respect for you and the perseverance with which you've handled all of this. I know that with both of us on board, we're going to come out victorious.Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01351731442236000266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540823081059079520.post-84143800326217544672010-03-23T16:24:00.000-07:002010-03-23T16:30:59.331-07:00Greek MediaFriends in Greece (and friends elsewhere who can read Greek):<br /><br />My story as told by Petros Kousoulos will be in the VETO newspaper this weekend.<br /><br />Also, I did an interview with Stavros Theodorakis today for this Saturday's <a href="http://www.tanea.gr/rendered.htm">Ta Nea</a>. <br /><br />Finally, a shout-out to Bollybutton for sharing the story on her <a href="http://bigfatgreeksummer.blogspot.com/2010/03/reaching-out.html">blog</a>.Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01351731442236000266noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540823081059079520.post-43774313891486688262010-03-22T17:27:00.000-07:002010-03-22T17:28:45.686-07:00Interview on CBC radio in MontrealHere's the interview I did on Homerun after the trial was postponed:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/homerun/recent.html">http://www.cbc.ca/homerun/recent.html</a><br /><br />Just go to Monday, March 22nd and click on the first interview.Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01351731442236000266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540823081059079520.post-29281988979706958782010-03-22T10:41:00.000-07:002010-03-22T11:51:03.508-07:00The End of the BeginningDespite my warm and fuzzy thoughts of yesterday, I wasn't expecting miracles today. Hoping maybe, but not expecting. But not once did I expect that this trial would be postponed, again, this time until 2011.<br /><br />This happened for several reasons, none of which would ever have flown in a proper court of law. Firstly, the defendant's lawyer claimed she was busy with another case. Which is fine in theory, except it's a case she picked up last week. Knowing full well, of course, what was on her agenda today.<br /><br />When she asked for the postponement for this reason, our awesome, chain-cigar-smoking lawyer asked for a continuance instead, which meant we would have resumed after the Easter holidays, as I'd expected. The judge said no. And wham, January 2011 it was - <span style="font-weight:bold;">for two rapes that happened in 2005</span>. <br /><br />And a convicted serial rapist strolled out of the courtroom and into downtown Athens.<br /><br />The thing is, even if neither postponement nor continuance were granted, we still couldn't have gone ahead with the case today. Why? Because an interpreter, required to be present by law, was absent. He missed the last trial, too. (Which got postponed for other, equally stupid reasons.) Legally, he should have been convicted for this. It's a requirement of the court to have an interpreter, and if the one they asked for isn't available, it's their duty to find another one. In other words, the court did their absolute best for this trial not to happen.<br /><br />Meanwhile, while the interpreter does whatever he does on his days off, this convict - yes, that's me - will remain as such in the eyes of the Greek law. After failing to appear at the July 2007 trial, despite giving an official reason through the Canadian Department of Justice, I was not just fined but CONVICTED. The courts refuse to drop this charge until the end of the trial, which at this rate could be by the time I'm 85 or so.<br /><br />Needless to say, the other victim and I are devastated. I think I'm still in shock, actually. None of this has computed, because if it had, I think I'd be hiding under a blanket in the dark, rather than writing this. It's survival mode I guess, which may be the same thing that kept me from sporting a sign today while awaiting cousin Tony in a public square, which would have read, "DON'T LOOK AT ME, DON'T TALK TO ME AND GOD HELP YOU DON'T TOUCH ME." <br /><br />It's hard to accept that most people have no idea what it feels like, being in this city, especially on my own. But I think I'm starting to understand something: why would they? Unless it happened to you, or someone you really care about, you don't know. <br /><br />But it happened to me. And today, I had to see the disgusting excuse of a man who did it smarming his way around the courtroom as if he owned the place, while his lawyer argued that it was an inconvenience to HER to continue this trial in the next nine months. <br /><br />I had thought, told myself, that if this wasn't over in a month, it was over for me. But now I know that's not the case. I knew this was bigger than our trial, but I had no idea how much bigger. In the next nine months, we have to do everything possible to make as many people as possible aware of how pathetically the Athenian courts have dealt with this trial. Maybe we should make t-shirts. They could read:<br /><br />"THE GREEK JUSTICE SYSTEM: THE ULTIMATE OXYMORON." <br /><br />That's all for now.Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01351731442236000266noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540823081059079520.post-74356758449396143002010-03-21T09:49:00.000-07:002010-03-21T10:19:35.299-07:00My TeamToday was the pre-trial meeting.<br /><br />My cousin-in-law, also named Tony (think the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vxZHU0oijE">"Nick, Nick and Nick" scene from My Big Fat Greek Wedding</a>,) drove me to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalcis">Halkida</a>, which meant what should have been an hour-long drive took approximately 5 minutes. His wife, Sofia, cheerfully came along. I met meet Panayote Dimitras and Nafsika Papanikolatou of the <a href="http://cm.greekhelsinki.gr/index.php?sec=194&ctg=202">Greek-Helsinki Monitor</a>, who have been instrumental - crucial - in helping me and the Australian victim in moving forward with this case. And I met the amazing criminal lawyer they found for us. (He chain-cigar-smoked the entire time and growled a lot. I like him.) <br /><br />We went through everything that will happen at the trial. Then we went through the circumstances around the trial - which, to be honest, are what I find most stressful at the moment. (Put it this way: it's highly unlikely anything will be resolved tomorrow.) Then, like good Greeks, we went for lunch.<br /><br />I'll wait until tomorrow, when we'll know a lot more, to go into detail. I'll just say that, on the drive back home, I felt amazingly at peace. Meeting the people helping us out in this case, and seeing their passion and the attention they've given it in the flesh, I am confident that we have the best chance possible for a positive outcome. My cousins stayed in the next room for the entire meeting. ("We didn't want to leave you alone," Sofia said, shrugging. "You're our responsibility.") You'd be hard-pressed to be in better hands than I am in at the moment. <br /><br />Still, it was a hard day. And I know tomorrow will be much harder. But I'm only considering the best outcomes. Why not? It's pointless to freak out about what may or may not happen. Miracles are possible. I've got proof of that.<br /><br />Thank you, friends, family, people I've never met, for the messages of encouragement. Each one is like a little firecracker of warmth and good feelings. Keep 'em coming.Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01351731442236000266noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540823081059079520.post-24797646696299337742010-03-20T08:12:00.001-07:002010-03-20T08:17:59.550-07:00As It HappensWas interviewed on As It Happens on CBC radio last night. You can hear the interview <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/radioshows/AS_IT_HAPPENS/20100319.shtml">here</a>. Just click on "Listen to Part One of As It Happens."Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01351731442236000266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540823081059079520.post-22637192850845596242010-03-18T19:27:00.000-07:002010-03-18T19:32:34.239-07:00CBC News at 6 and Homerun interviewsWatch the interview on the CBC news at 6 from Thursday, March 18th <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/News/Canada/Montreal/ID=1444688773">here</a>.<br /><br />To hear the interview that aired on Homerun, go <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/homerun/recent.html">here</a> and go to Thursday, March 18th.Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01351731442236000266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540823081059079520.post-84732017433180854602010-03-18T09:50:00.000-07:002010-03-18T14:23:46.974-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3JJUHSQcSe8/S6Jdb6xQF3I/AAAAAAAAAGI/PvUdvgmVDMw/s1600-h/realmen.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3JJUHSQcSe8/S6Jdb6xQF3I/AAAAAAAAAGI/PvUdvgmVDMw/s400/realmen.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450021233285404530" /></a><br /><br />I write this about 24 hours before my third attempt to go through with this trial in Athens.<br /><br />A quick recap of why this is happening: <br /><br />I was drugged and most likely sexually assaulted in Athens in August of 2005. The man was caught a month later, and charged with doing the same thing to 3 other women (two from Australia, and one from Denmark.) He has since been convicted for raping the Danish woman, sentenced to 5 and a half years in prison, and released after serving 18 months.<br /><br />A slightly less quick recap of what has happened since I last posted:<br /><br />1. I've learned that the reason the man who did this is now walking free is the fault of the Greek government. Myself and one of the Australian victims WERE subpoenaed to appear at the same trial as the Danish woman, in 2006. However, the subpoenas were sent to the HOSTEL where we had both been staying when we were assaulted. Thus, the case went ahead with 1 witness instead of 3. (The other Australian woman has decided not to participate.) Thus, he was given a lighter sentence. Thus, a convicted rapist walks free, because of the incompetence of the Greek authorities.<br /><br />2. This trial, scheduled to begin on March 22nd, will very likely be postponed as another trial has been scheduled to begin that day. Because the Easter holidays begin in Greece on March 29th, which means all governmental affairs shut down for two weeks, there's a very good chance I will be stuck in Greece for a month.<br /><br />3. However, there is a possibility that myself and the other woman would be allowed to give our testimonies and leave. That's the best case scenario, and it's what I'm hoping for.<br /><br />Those are the main points. I'll be posting about what's happening from here on in, both from a factual point of view and my experiences. And what I ask again is this: tell my story. Tell your sisters and your friends and your daughters and your mothers. If we can prevent this from happening to one other person, all this is worth it. <br /><br />I will be on <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/tvnewsmontreal/">CBC TV</a> tonight, and <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/homerun/">Homerun</a> on CBC radio this afternoon. <br /><br />I'll be <a href="http://twitter.com/karneef">Tweeting</a> too. <br /><br />Wish me luck.Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01351731442236000266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540823081059079520.post-57756014985159193802008-10-03T09:29:00.001-07:002008-10-03T09:40:43.435-07:00the story is getting out thereI've just learned that, based on <a href="http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=7f1b61a7-93ff-4e29-bd0b-2219bfb91233">the article that appeared in The Gazette</a>, a socialist MP in Greece has tabled a question to the Greek Parliament. The Google translation:<br /><br />Interior Minister<br />Minister of Justice<br />Foreign Minister<br /><br />SUBJECT: Denial of Canadian assistance to state agencies<br /><br />The Canadian newspaper "The Gazette" in an article on 25.9.2008 describes the test suffered by the Greek authorities a Canadian, alleged rape victim who decided to return to Greece in order to testify at the trial of the alleged aggressor.<br /><br />The Greek Consulate in Montreal has ignored its repeated requests for help and the woman was forced to pay at its own expense its flight and then suffered endless bureaucracy to the costs paid by the Greek judicial system. To cut costs arranged to stay with relatives while to understand what is happening in the proceedings must recruit its own translator, whose costs offered to cover the Canadian Embassy in Athens.<br /><br />Asked the responsible ministers:<br /><br />1. Why the competent government departments refused to provide the appropriate help?<br />2. If you intend to take action and what? <br />___________________________________________________________<br /><br />Also, the case became part of a big OSCE Human Dimension meeting in Warsaw. I have to admit, I'm floored. And so grateful for the help I'm getting from the GHM. <br /><br />I'm balancing keeping the faith with not getting my hopes up. It takes practice. In the meantime, happy weekend and thank you for even more messages of support in the last few days. How could I not feel good and proud about going public with all this when it's resulted in this much positivity and awareness already?Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01351731442236000266noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540823081059079520.post-64177700607583221292008-10-02T08:31:00.000-07:002008-10-06T06:26:53.931-07:00a picture that will last longerAccording to the Canadian Embassy in Athens, yesterday, October 1st at 9am, the judges, Aristovoulos and his lawyer were all present in the courtroom. But, as the clerk was not, the hearing was postponed. <br /><br />It is beyond words how frustrating it is to think that the trial would have gone ahead yesterday... that by today, this could all have been over. According to the embassy, "The judge announced that parties involved are going to be subpoenaed again but no further information was provided regarding the new hearing date."<br /><br />While the contact at the embassy was unable to take a photo of Aristovoulos, she gave me this description:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />*******UPDATE: I HAVE BEEN ASKED TO REMOVE THIS DESCRIPTION********</span><br /><br /><br />Panayote Dimitras of the <a href="http://www.greekhelsinki.gr/bhr/english/index.html">Greek-Helsinki Monitor</a> is in the process of getting access to the file on this case so that I can finally see a photo of this man - something I've been begging for since spring 2007. Once I do, you can bet I will post it here.<br /><br />A few media updates:<br /><br />For any Greek-speakers out there, Mr. Dimitras of the GHM did <a href="http://easyradio.gr/showFplayer.php?sid=0&bid=11&RS=IONION&pgDate=1222722000&rsid=1&type=showarchive ">this interview</a> with a Peloponnese radio station. Apparently the interview is near the end. <br /><br />Again, for Greek-speakers (and readers), <a href="http://news.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_articles_ell_1_01/10/2008_286785">this article</a> came out in a Greek paper, Kathimerini, yesterday.<br /><br />If you want a translation you CAN put it into <a href="http://translate.google.com/translate_t#">Google translator</a>... it's far from precise (actually, it's good for a laugh) but you'll get the general gist.<br /><br />A non-Greek blogger (from what I understand) living in Greece is doing an absolutely amazing job at following Greek human rights issues in general. She did a post on <a href="http://deviousdiva.com">her blog</a> about <a href="http://deviousdiva.com/2008/09/30/rape-trial_in_greece/">the trial</a>, but also please check out <a href="http://deviousdiva.com/the-roma-series">her series on the Roma (or as we know them, Gypsy) settlement in Athens</a>... it is truly eye-opening. I am learning more and more about what's going on in what is supposedly a first world country.<br /><br />Finally, if you missed seeing the full 25-minute CBC interview, you can see it <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/video/popup_eurovision.html?http://www.cbc.ca/montreal/media/video/newsatsixmontreal/20080924okekenatfull.asx">here</a>.<br /><br />I did another interview today with a paper called Eleftheros Tipos. I will let you know when it's out. Both papers asked for my photograph (ironically. I wonder if they'll publish his, too?) and while I am so grateful for this coverage and the awareness it's raising, I have to admit it that having my photo printed in newspapers in Greece makes me feel incredibly vulnerable. I sent them a photo I took of myself on my last "mini-journey" in Europe - almost a year after what happened in Athens. I was living in London, and took a cheap flight to Verona, Italy. I was alone, stayed in a nunnery for three days, ate gelato, went to churches and shoe stores, and felt insanely grateful to be alive. That trip is one of my best memories. And no matter who sees this photo, I refuse to let that change.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3JJUHSQcSe8/SOTwTEQD0gI/AAAAAAAAAB4/euqQIljsLKk/s1600-h/Verona+026.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3JJUHSQcSe8/SOTwTEQD0gI/AAAAAAAAAB4/euqQIljsLKk/s200/Verona+026.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252587275770122754" /></a><br /><br />To all women travelers out there: I wish you protection and vigilance... and pray that one day we can all journey solo, without fear.Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01351731442236000266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540823081059079520.post-23982169423957122132008-09-30T11:17:00.000-07:002008-10-03T09:45:32.977-07:00Joining the Picket LineYesterday, I did an interview with a Greek newspaper yesterday. The article was meant to be published tomorrow, but guess what?<br /><br />Tomorrow, in Greece, the journalists are going on strike.<br /><br />As some of you know, I'm currently writing a book. Not about what happened in Athens specifically, but about the year I spent in Europe, which of course Athens was a part of. Other, way happier stuff happened too, and while I've been working on the book for a couple of years, I'm now in the midst of tackling it full time, with the hopes of having it completed by Christmas. <br /><br />But today, for whatever reason, when I heard about the journalists, I fell apart. Just cried and cried, like a little kid, sniffling and snotting and everything. Not about the journalists, you understand. Not about the story not being in the paper tomorrow. In fact, I don't really know about what. I think it's all just starting to catch up with me.<br /><br />I'm exhausted. I am so, so tired of dealing with this. Tired of doing it day in, day out. Tired of not being able to just wake up in the morning, sit down, and do my work. Tired of having to hash and rehash the most horrible thing that's happened to me, and answer e-mails, and scan documents with my signature, and give my passport number and my father's name, and beg for answers. Tired of losing my appetite, and my hair. Tired of becoming more and more aware that I am dealing with a country that seems to have, on the whole, very little interest in justice. <br /><br />Unfortunately, as a writer, I don't have access to stress leave. Which is why I've been trying to keep working, no matter how bad things get. But today, I've made the decision: <br /><br />I'm on strike, too. <br /><br />Just for the afternoon, but I reserve the right to continue on into tomorrow. As Charlie Brown would say, I just can't stand it anymore. No more answering the phone. No more e-mails or rehashing. If I had a sign, it would say "Piss off". <br /><br />Although according to the laws of my union, I reserve the right to change that as the day progresses.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3JJUHSQcSe8/SOJyXtC_7tI/AAAAAAAAABw/HdEY4_vV7H4/s1600-h/strike.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3JJUHSQcSe8/SOJyXtC_7tI/AAAAAAAAABw/HdEY4_vV7H4/s320/strike.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251885867022151378" /></a>Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01351731442236000266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540823081059079520.post-61059369959568062892008-09-29T08:57:00.000-07:002008-10-03T09:46:23.864-07:00"You Are Not Alone"Sometimes help comes from the most unexpected places.<br /><br />In Athens, a couple of days after all this happened in 2005, I was lying in my hostel bunk bed, doing something I didn't do often back then. I was praying. I didn't know for what, really. I just felt desperately isolated, alone and terrified. I was asking the universe... and for some reason, the goddess Hera (I learned later that she is "the protector of women") for help.<br /><br />I fell asleep after that, and when I awoke a few hours later, it was to a petite American girl who had come into the room. Someone had told her what had happened, and she'd come to talk, because a few years ago, she had been drugged and raped. <br /><br />As we were talking, other girls in the room overheard, and offered food, and their support. And suddenly I was no longer alone, and my pain was shared by other women, and what had happened to me was no longer just mine. It was the most healing thing I could have asked for. I always refer to her as the American angel. <br /><br />Last week, I got a call from Paul Cherry, who wrote <a href="http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=7f1b61a7-93ff-4e29-bd0b-2219bfb91233">the article in The Gazette</a>. Someone from an organization called <a href="www.greekhelsinki.gr">The Greek Helksinki Monitor</a> wanted to get in touch with me, and as The Gazette didn't use my name, they went through him. I spoke to the woman today, and her husband. The Greek Helsinki Monitor is a human rights advocacy group in Greece. They gave me more information about the Greek legal system in the last half hour than I've gotten from anyone else combined. They told me why, if I do attend the trial, I should have a lawyer: because in Greece, the prosecutor is not there to convict the defendant. They said the victim in a case like this should have a lawyer to argue with the defending lawyer. If I go to this trial without a lawyer, I will be, as they put it, "torn apart". <br /><br />They told me that giving a video testimony is not possible, as I'm not a minor and have to be cross-examined. They also told me that as the trial has been canceled, it will not be rescheduled anytime in the near future. As in, not before the first half of 2009. If I'm lucky.<br /><br />"I'm getting married in 2009," I told him, lamely, because I'm starting to feel like getting married is a pansy excuse to beg out of one's own rape trial.<br /><br />But then, the man told me that since he released information on my case, he's been contacted by two national Greek papers, both of whom want to speak to me. That this could be a case that sets a precedent, not only in the way they deal with the defendant, but in how rape is dealt with in Greece, period. In how victims are compensated, and even how they are treated by the police and medical system. <br /><br />So. I will be speaking to these Greek journalists. I am giving the Greek Helsinki Monitor the authority to do as much as they can with my case, which seems to be a lot. They also said that with enough pressure, and a lawyer, could convince the prosecution office to hold the trial early enough in the year for me to be able to attend. <br /><br />"If these issues are exposed in the proper way," the woman told me, "it may trigger actions, reactions and changes that would not otherwise happen.<br /><br />They will know they are being watched."<br /><br />After I thanked them for the millionth time, the woman told me to call or e-mail with any questions I had. And she said, "Natalie, you are not alone."<br /><br />I know, especially after the e-mails that continue to come in, that I am not alone. But for the first time, I really feel like I might be able to do something for other victims - something more than a few years in prison for one individual. And that gives me a lot of hope.Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01351731442236000266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540823081059079520.post-77919299162453454762008-09-26T08:03:00.000-07:002008-10-03T09:46:53.605-07:00Carrying OnYesterday, sometime after my shock began to wear off, I got a phone call from the Canadian Embassy in Athens. They informed me that:<br /><br />1. Everyone at the Public Prosecution Office - judges, officials, lawyers - would be working on the day the trial was scheduled to begin, except for ONE clerk. But, as it was explained to me, you cannot have a trial without a clerk. How one clerk going on strike can hold up an entire judicial process I don't really understand. But then again, this is a country where striking is pretty much a national sport, <a href="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Greece+strike&btnG=Search">from the sounds of it</a>.<br /><br />2. Because the trial has been "canceled" rather than "postponed", there is actually a chance that a <span style="font-style:italic;">new</span> trial might be scheduled in the next couple of weeks. Somehow, postponing a trial takes longer than creating a whole new trial. Again, it makes very little sense, but there you go.<br /><br />Ultimately, what happens next is now completely out of my control. Until yesterday, I was empowered by the fact that I had made the decision to fly to Greece and testify. Now, I have to wait until a decision is made on when/if the trial will be rescheduled. And I have to draw a deadline, after which, as much as it pains me, if the trial is scheduled, I will choose not to participate. <br /><br />That's the tricky part. So much of me, despite dreading this, wants to plunge in, deal with this hell and then put it behind me forever. But at the same time, I can only put my life on hold for so long. I have made a second request to Foreign Affairs to give my testimony by video. (I was informed in 2007, when the initial trial was scheduled, that this is often done. However, it was up to the Greek authorities to decide whether that was acceptable, and they deemed it was not.)<br /><br />Being able to travel to Ottawa rather than Athens and give a video testimony would be a dream come true in this situation. Having the trial rescheduled for the very near future would be the second best option. But for now, I just have to wait, and put this all aside for the next couple of days or weeks. I recently came upon a print of a poster, which I believe was posted around England during World War II. I am not a proponent of war, but I believe in this 100%:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3JJUHSQcSe8/SNz_ka4vI0I/AAAAAAAAABo/-qvaJR1562Y/s1600-h/keepcalmred.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3JJUHSQcSe8/SNz_ka4vI0I/AAAAAAAAABo/-qvaJR1562Y/s320/keepcalmred.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250352266764821314" /></a><br /><br /><br />The sun was shining in Montreal yesterday. This can only cast a shadow if I choose to let it.Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01351731442236000266noreply@blogger.com0