The retrial of Brisbane hairdresser Dmitri Stelios Papas has been scheduled for February after his first trial was declared a mistrial.
Papas, 49, has pleaded not guilty to six historical counts of sexual assault and one count of rape, involving allegations made by former employees. He denies sexually assaulting three women and raping another.
The initial Brisbane District Court trial was abandoned in its first week after Judge Dzenita Balic declared a mistrial. The case returned to court on Wednesday, June 10, with Judge Anthony Rafter listing a new trial for February.
The court heard three of the four women involved had already given recorded evidence during the first trial and would not need to repeat it.
During the previous proceedings, prosecutors argued their case relied on similarities between the women’s allegations, including claims Papas touched them unexpectedly at work and often from behind.
Defence barrister Saul Holt told the jury the salon where three of the women alleged incidents occurred had a “highly sexualised” workplace culture.
Source: Courier Mail.
