Businessman recounts brutal homophobic assault on Pelion beach

It was a quiescent day successful precocious August, slow and precious, and thing hinted astatine the acheronian that would follow. Businessman Costas Pissiotis, on with a person and his dog, was astatine their favourite spot connected the rocks astatine the borderline of Tzitsikas formation successful southern Pelion (Pilio). They had been going there for years to stay retired of nationalist view, arsenic they sometimes enjoyed swimming nude.

They sat astatine ease, nibbling connected food pies and sipping beer, when they heard shouting. A antheral was moving toward them, followed by two others and a woman. As they aboriginal estimated, helium had covered astir 170 meters to scope them. He scrambled up the rocks screaming “I’ll termination you” and unleashing a stream of vulgar homophobic slurs. “Your begetter f—ed your mother, f—–!” helium shouted, earlier furiously attacking the two men. One of his companions stood by laughing with his hands successful his pockets, while the woman yelled “Serves them right,” and the others watched.

“I retrieve saying, ‘Hey, why are you hitting us?’” Pissiotis told Kathimerini. “I was so stunned by what was happening.” His friend, however, fought backmost against the punches and kicks. A scuffle broke out, constabulary were called, and everyone progressive ended up successful infirmary for archetypal aid.

As expected, the two men filed a complaint, while the attacker, a 34-year-old from Giannitsa successful cardinal Macedonia, filed a counter-complaint for assault. All were held successful custody and brought earlier a Volos tribunal the pursuing day, where they were fixed three days to hole their statements.

“Family antheral attacks tourists for nudism” was the header splashed crossed section media, sparking a torrent of homophobic comments. The attacker’s Facebook illustration was besides flooded with hate-filled remarks wishing decease and disease. Pissiotis managed to take screenshots earlier the antheral deactivated his relationship up of the trial.

‘No 1 is obliged to bow their caput to violence oregon consciousness shame for their freedom’

On September 9, the tribunal convicted the antheral – who had antecedently been recovered blameworthy of battle – sentencing him to 18 months with suspension for grievous bodily harm committed with a racist motive, without immoderate mitigating circumstances. Two others received four-month suspended sentences for bodily harm. They were, however, acquitted of charges of offending nationalist decency. In 1 of the uncommon Greek tribunal decisions to code nudism, judges ruled that nudism successful itself does not offend nationalist decency, arsenic it does not inherently incite intersexual acts.

All’s well that ends well? Hardly. “I did thing wrong and was subjected to an unprovoked, brutal attack,” says Pissiotis, reflecting connected the incidental with the clarity of hindsight. “I’ve been openly cheery since ’97, ne'er felt immoderate benignant of fearfulness successful my life, and suddenly successful 2025 I get beaten. That suffocates me. Luckily, there was a tribunal that said, ‘No, man, you won’t get beaten for this.’ I anticipation some kid hears that and realizes they don’t person to hide. No 1 is obliged to bow their caput to violence oregon consciousness shame for their freedom. The instrumentality exists to support victims, not warrant perpetrators. And each clip justness states the obvious, we each take a step guardant together.”