The murder of a young British mother in her suburban Athens home has prompted the Greek government to increase the term convicts spend in prison for heinous crimes.
Speaking to Skai TV on Thursday, Justice Minister Konstantinos Tsiaras said the issue has “already been discussed” among the members of the Criminal Code monitoring committee.
“There is an intention to toughen the sentences, especially for heinous crimes, sex crimes [and] all that have received a lot of publicity lately,” Tsiaras told TV channel Skai.
“With the new legislation, anyone sentenced to life in prison will spend more years [incarcerated] than today.”
Caroline Crouch and her husband Charalambos Anagnostopoulos / Social Media
The legislation, which will be presented in the summer, he will ensure criminals who receive a life sentence will have to spend a minimum of 20 years behind bars instead of the current 16 years.
Caroline Crouch, 20, was strangled in front of her baby daughter earlier this week by armed burglars who had bound her husband, Babis Anagnostopoulos, to a chair after breaking in. Crouch is believed to have been tortured for up to an hour as the thieves tried to coerce her into revealing the location of thousands of pounds of cash and jewellery, which they then made off with.
“We are all shaken up and personally I am shaken up,” Michalis Chrisochoidis told the annual Delphi Economic Forum on Tuesday. “We rarely encounter such brutality in Greece, both in Greek society and in crime.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo and his girlfriend, Mariah Riddlesprigger, are expecting a second child, with Riddlesprigger announcing the exciting news via an Instagram post.
On her @sincerelyymariah Instagram account, Riddlesprigger posted Wednesday that “Oh and I forgot to mention baby #2 is on the way and I’m in for even more life lessons! My kids are my biggest blessing and my greatest lesson!”
The girlfriend of the NBA MVP showed gratitude not only to her husband, but for her son who has given her “purpose” in life.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and his first child, Liam. Photo: Getty Images
“I know it’s a cliché statement, but it’s the truth! Becoming a mom has helped me realize what I am capable of; physically, mentally and emotionally. My son has taught me more about patience, perseverance and passion in these past 15 months than I have ever known,” she wrote.
“But most importantly he’s opened my eyes to my true potential. I’ve made it through sleepless nights, teething and the beginning of toddler tantrums, and at this point I feel invincible.”
On February 10, 2020, Riddlesprigger gave birth to their son, Liam Charles. Giannis and Liam were famously photographed observing the Acropolis last year, with the NBA star saying, “My goal in life is to show you the world”.
The Milwaukee Bucks player won his second NBA MVP award last year, making him the first Greek to ever receive two of the prestigious awards. Last year he also announced a new five-year contract extension with his current NBA team.
After 16 years as chief executive of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies (JBOD), Vic Alhadeff has decided it’s time for him to finally step back from leading the community organisation. But as he stresses to The Greek Herald, this decision is ‘resignation not retirement.’
“My intent is to continue to make a contribution in the areas in which I can. 16 years is a long time and it has been a passion,” Mr Alhadeff tells The Greek Herald exclusively.
“Essentially what drove me was the need to do whatever was within my ability to make NSW a more harmonious society, which meant denouncing bigotry in all its forms through the prism of the Jewish experience.”
To do this effectively, Mr Alhadeff has had to ‘build mutually beneficial and respectful relationships with other faith groups, politicians, media and groups across civil society.’ One of these particularly special relationships is with the Greek Australian community as the chief executive actually has a personal connection to Greece.
Vic Alhadeff’s Greek roots:
When I ask Mr Alhadeff about this connection, it’s clear he is very proud of his Greek roots. He stresses that the Alhadeff family was ‘one of the largest Jewish families on the Greek island of Rhodes,’ and both of his parents were also born there.
Vic Alhadeff (right) with the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Mr Christos Karras (left). Photo supplied.
“But in 1938, a year before WWII erupted, anti-Semitic decrees were passed in many parts of Europe banishing Jews from civil society, which meant for example that Jews could no longer own businesses or go to public schools,” Mr Alhadeff says.
“There were 4,000 Jews living on Rhodes at the time and approximately half of them left… and went to [places such as] the United States and South Africa.”
Mr Alhadeff’s father went to Zimbabwe, then known as Rhodesia, with the aim of bringing out his parents, his teenage sisters aged 14 and 16, and his fiancé Becky. But sadly, WWII eventually broke out and no one else was allowed to travel.
“In July 1944, German forces arrived on the island and the 1,700 Jews who were still on Rhodes were put on three ships and sent to Auschwitz, which was the largest of the Nazi death camps,” Mr Alhadeff explains.
“My father’s parents were murdered at Auschwitz, as were 151 Alhadeff’s. My father’s sisters both survived.”
In the case of the fiancé, Mr Alhadeff says that although his father was told Becky had also been killed in Auschwitz, it turns out she wasn’t.
“25 years ago, my father was on holiday in Cape Town, South Africa, in a restaurant no less, and he overheard his fiancé’s name, discovered she had survived and was a grandmother living in Belgium… He contacted her and they spent one hour together at Brussels airport,” the chief executive says.
But of course, it must be mentioned that whilst Becky survived WWII and the Holocaust, the same can’t be said for a large majority of the Jewish population on Rhodes.
“Essentially, because of the Holocaust, the Jewish community of Rhodes was decimated and today, there are about five Jewish families left on Rhodes,” Mr Alhadeff stresses.
“In fact, there is also still an Alhadeff street and Alhadeff park on Rhodes named in honour of my family.”
Championing Greek causes:
With such strong ties to Greece, it’s no surprise then that in his 16 years as CEO of the NSW JBOD, Mr Alhadeff has worked very closely with Greek community groups in Australia.
Mr Alhadeff frequently talks at Greek community events. Photo supplied.
In fact, over the years, Mr Alhadeff has not only spoken at Greek community events, but he has also led the ‘Keep NSW Safe’ initiative with the help of multicultural organisations across NSW, including Greek ones. This is something he is incredibly proud of.
“I was the spokesperson for the campaign and we achieved legislative reform in that the state government passed a law on June 27, 2018, and that law says it is a crime to incite violence on the basis of race, religion, gender and sexual preference,” he explains.
“That campaign was approximately 200 meetings and media interviews over three years and like I said, friends in the Greek and Hellenic communities were an integral part of that campaign.”
More recently, Mr Alhadeff has also advocated for the Federal Government to officially recognise the Greek, Armenian and Assyrian genocides.
“We have a monthly meeting of members of the JBOD and the theme of the April meeting was the need to recognise the Greek, Armenian, Assyrian genocides and there were speakers from all of those communities,” Mr Alhadeff says.
Mr Alhadeff after speaking at a Greek Genocide Commemoration event. Photo supplied.
“At the end of the night, a resolution was put forward and passed unanimously to endorse a policy of our federal counterpart, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, which calls on the Australian government to recognise the genocides.”
Of course, these are small steps, but they make a world of difference and Mr Alhadeff has no plans to stop advocating for the cause.
In fact, he says that because he comes from a Jewish community which itself has suffered a genocide, he feels even more strongly that the Greek, Armenian and Assyrian genocides need to be acknowledged.
“It’s something that I personally and the Jewish community… feels very strongly about because it’s bad enough that the community has suffered a genocide, but for recognition to be denied is to just inflict even further pain and injustice on that community,” he concludes.
Powerful words which clearly show that despite the fact his days at the helm of the NSW JBOD are coming to an end, Mr Alhadeff will continue championing worthy causes, including those relevant to the Jewish Australian and Greek Australian communities.
Master of Arts (Research) candidate at the University of Sydney, Nicholas Conomos, held an insightful talk on the role of the diaspora in the Greek Revolution of 1821 via Zoom on Wednesday, May 12.
The talk, which was attended by about 20 people, was the second in a recent series organised by the University of Sydney’s Department of Modern Greek and Byzantine Studies to mark the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution this year.
Mr Conomos tells The Greek Herald he wanted to focus on the role of the diaspora for his talk as he thinks their contribution tends to be “overlooked in some ways.”
“For me it was of particular relevance to us as a community so that was what drove me to focus on the topic. I think any issues of the revolution tend to be rehashed quite often… but I think the diaspora tends to be overlooked in some ways,” Mr Conomos says.
Lord Byron is a prominent Philhellene.
“Their role tends to just be appreciated and presumed, but not much is actually analysed about it. I think, particularly for us in the diaspora, it’s important that we assess that role so we can gain some insight and learn about what our role in this day and age is as a diaspora community, both with the homeland and with each other.”
To make this role particularly clear during his presentation, Mr Conomos focused on a few key issues related to the diaspora and leading up to the Greek Revolution, including communities where Greeks had settled in Europe, renowned individuals that had spent many years working with the diaspora, and the contributions that the diaspora communities and these individuals have made.
He also stressed that “whilst it’s assumed by most people that the diaspora played a significant role in the Revolution, that’s not entirely true.” The diaspora is “heterogeneous” and there are many different communities with many different opinions, interests and professions.
“An example is the diaspora community of Venice, which was quite large in the 16th-17th centuries. Leading up to the Revolution, the majority didn’t support it because it would damage their financial interests as most of them were merchants,” Mr Conomos explains.
“On the other hand you get towns like Trieste for example, that supported the Revolution and disseminated information and propaganda to try and garner support.”
From there, Mr Conomos went on to say that he believes the biggest contribution of the diaspora to the Greek Revolution was how they managed to internationalise it.
“Perhaps we can toy with the idea that Greece might not have gained independence if not… for the fact that the diaspora, with their connections, were able to internationalise the Greek insurgency…” Mr Conomos explains.
“They were able to gain the sympathies and the support over the years of the great powers of Philhellenes and wealthy businessmen, who otherwise would not have batted an eyelid at the issue.”
An important contribution which, as Mr Conomos makes clear, deserves to be recognised and remembered by today’s diaspora in order for them to know that they too can play a role in helping the homeland.
On this day in 1982, Despina Achladiotou, known as the Lady of Ro, passes away.
Achladiotou is best-known for flying the Greek flag over Ro daily from sun-up to sun-down during occupation in WWII.
Today marks the 39th anniversary of the passing of a Greek heroine and “symbol of defiance”. The Greek Herald takes a look back at her brave life.
Early life:
Despina Achladiotou (Δέσποινα Αχλαδιώτου) was born in Kastellorizo, Rhodes, Greece, in 1890. Achladiotou was born into Ottoman-era Greece when Kastellorizo was known as Meis.
Achladiotou sailed with her husband, Costas Achladiotis, and her mother to Ro in the 1920s to work as farmers and breeders. She awoke one morning in 1927 to find a Turkish flag hoisted on the island.
She began raising a flag she sewed herself from a white sheet and blue cloth and displayed it for passing ships as a small but impactful act of defiance for the first time in 1927.
The Lady of Ro is immortalized in the town of Ro [Photos by Sofia Karagianni].
This wasn’t the only time Despina saw fit to intervene against Ottoman imperialism. It’s said she also helped the Sacred Band/Allied Powers against the Axis powers during the occupation of the Dodecanese.
Ro at the time was a ‘tragic’, small rocky outcrop a stone-throw away from Turkey’s southern coast. Ro was a desolate haven for refugees often referred to as “barren” and “inhospitable” during this period. The Lady of Ro found solance in Ro’s history as a lost part of ancient Lycia.
Ro remained the only and permanent resident of the island, braven-faced as most others fled increasing threats from the Axis powers during WWII.
“… of course life in Ro [was] not so pleasant, but you feel more Greece, lost as you are in the sea, a few hundred meters from the Turkish coasts,” she recalls in a rare interview with and tribute by the late journalist Freddie Germanos for ERT.
Achladiotou braced Turkish forces with nothing more than a home-sewn flag for the next 20 years until the Treaty of Paris and the ‘Koundouriotis’ destroyer facilitated the return of Kastelorizo, and the broader Dodecanese area, to Greek ownership on February 10, 1947.
Kastelorizo became the seat of the Allies, who when they heard of a woman living on the opposite islet, sent sailors to greet her and gift her food and supplies.
She continued to raise the flag every day until she left in 1961.
She returned in 1974 to again replace a Turkish flag placed by Omar Kasar. The anti-submarine vessel G. Pezopoulos arrived in Kasterlorizo as a tribute for the Lady of Ro on the September 1, 1975. Two months later, on 23 November, the Ministry of National Defense sent a naval convoy and a delegation of the Navy to award her a medal for the war period of 1941-1944.
Legacy:
Achladiotou died aged between 89-92 on the 13th of May, 1982, at a hospital in Rhodes.
Her legend began to spread from Kastellorizians to wider Greece by the mid-1970s when she was rewarded full military honours by Greece, including from the Academy of Athens, the Navy, the Greek Parliament, the Municipality of Rhodes, the National Bank of Greece, and other bodies.
“With the Greek flag raised and the love for Greece deeply rooted in me, I went through all the hardships,” she told Freddie Germanos.
“I want to be buried with the Greek flag,” she went on to say. So it was. Her coffin is adorned with the flag in Ro, a town she became synonymous with and contributed highly to the development of. Ro now hosts a military unit.
Her legacy survives as part of the long and complicated history of Turkish-Greek territorial disputes.
The former Deputy Foreign Minister of Greece. D Droutsas, visited her tomb on May 24, 2013. The Lady of Ro, a play written by Giannis Skaragas, directed by Katerina Bertheka, performed by Fotini Baxevani, and produced by the Lykofos company, was touring Australia in early 2020 just prior to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Achladiotou is a household-name in Greece and is known today for her bravery and patriotism as “Ro’s wife”.
Greece’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Kostas Vlasis, has called on Greek diaspora to send in their suggestions for the establishment of a Greek Diaspora Day.
In a letter, Mr Vlasis stressed that “Greeks everywhere have been an integral part of the evolution and progress of the Greek state” and as a result, the Greek government would like to honour this contribution through an annual day of celebration.
To make a suggestion about which date the Greek Diaspora Day should be held on, people are encouraged to fill out the following form and submit it to the email diaspora1@mfa.gr by Friday, June 25, 2021.
2021 is a milestone year in the centuries-old journey of the Greek nation. It is a culmination in the historical continuity of Greece, whose roots are lost deep in time. The recent celebration of the 200 years since the beginning of the Greek Revolution of 1821 for liberation from the Ottomans, was an opportunity to reflect on the achievements of the past, but also to envision the Greece of the future.
Following in the footsteps of history, we worked with the Greeks of the Diaspora in this great moment for the Greek Nation. The modern Greek enlightenment of Rigas Feraios and Adamantios Korais flourished in Central Europe at the end of the 18th century, the Friendly Society was founded in 1814 in Odessa, while the Revolution itself broke out in February 1821 in the Danube region. Since the founding of the modern Greek State, Greeks everywhere have been an integral part of its evolution and progress. Flesh from its flesh and a piece from its soul.
With these thoughts I share with you the pleasure of the State’s intention to establish the celebration of the Day of the Greek Diaspora in order to recognise and honour, on an annual basis, the historical role and valuable contribution of the diaspora in our country.
In this initiative, we want you all to be participants and companions. I invite all Greek women and men to submit their proposals for the date of its celebration.
Your participation will be once again a practical proof that all together we can achieve our great goal, which is none other than to bring the Hellenism of the Diaspora closer to the Motherland.
A friend of the woman who accused Christian Porter of rape has made a Federal Court bid to stop Sydney barrister, Sue Chrysanthou, SC, from acting for him in his defamation case against the ABC, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Jo Dyer, who was a debater with the woman in the late 1980s, filed an urgent application in the Federal Court, seeking an order to restrain Ms Chrysanthou from acting for Mr Porter on the basis that she previously advised Ms Dyer in a separate matter.
Ms Chrysanthou, who has acted successfully for a string of famous clients including actor Geoffrey Rush and Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, is part of the star legal team Mr Porter has assembled in his defamation case against the ABC and journalist Louise Milligan. His team is headed by prominent silk Bret Walker, SC.
The former attorney-general, now the Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, is suing the ABC and Milligan over a February 26 online article alleging an unnamed senior cabinet minister faced a historical rape allegation from 1988. Mr Porter was not named but he alleges he was identifiable.
Christian Porter is suing the ABC and journalist Louise Milligan for defamation.
Ms Dyer was a good friend of the woman who alleged Mr Porter, then aged 17, raped her when they were both student debaters. The woman was aged 16.
In documents filed in court and seen by the SMH, she seeks an order restraining Ms Chrysanthou from acting in the case on the basis that “the order is necessary to prevent prejudice to the proper administration of justice, and to preserve confidentiality and legal professional privilege.”
Appearing for Ms Dyer at an urgent hearing in the Federal Court in Sydney on Wednesday, Michael Hodge QC said Ms Chrysanthou was “in a lawyer-client relationship with Ms Dyer and there is the real and obvious possibility that the information disclosed in the course of that relationship will have relevance to Mr Porter’s proceedings.”
According to the SMH, Mr Hodge said there was the possibility of misuse of confidential information, but also the “possibility of apprehension of the interference with the administration of justice” if Ms Chrysanthou continued to act for Mr Porter.
Sue Chrysanthou has acted successfully for a string of famous clients including actor Geoffrey Rush and Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young.
Appearing for Ms Chrysanthou, barrister Noel Hutley, SC, said his client “will give evidence that she has in effect no substantive recollection of what is said to have been reported to her” by Ms Dyer.
“That’s been the subject of correspondence between solicitors… My client’s position is she is a member of the bar. She is an officer of the court. She will do anything that the court thinks she ought to do.”
The matter is expected to be heard in the week beginning May 24, shortly before a crucial hearing in Mr Porter’s defamation case.
In a statement released via his solicitor, Rebekah Giles, Mr Porter said: “It has been widely known for two months that Sue has been acting as my counsel in this well-publicised matter – yet the action has come shortly before court appearances on significant issues in the proceedings and over eight weeks after they were commenced.
“I am therefore concerned about the timing of this application. Ms Chrysanthou is one of this country’s pre-eminent defamation advocates. It is a critically important right for any citizen in legal proceedings to choose his or her own counsel.”
Stefanos Tsitsipas passed an opening-round test against Marin Cilic 7-5, 6-2 to reach the fourth round of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
“Sometimes I need to adjust my game and Marin is someone I respect a lot,” Tsitsipas said on-court. “I knew he was going to come out here and play his best tennis.”
The Greek improved to 28-7 this season, which tied him back up with Andrey Rublev for most wins after Rublev beat Jan-Lennard Struff earlier on Wednesday. Though Tsitsipas lost in the third round in Madrid, the World No. 5 is filled with confidence after winning his first ATP Masters 1000 title at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. He’s also a former semi-finalist in Rome (2019).
Cilic is 0-11 against Top 10 opponents dating back to his 2018 Australian Open win over Rafael Nadal. He’s now 8-8 on the season.
— Internazionali Bnl (@InteBNLdItalia) May 12, 2021
In a competitive first set, Tsitsipas pounced at 6-5 to break Cilic for the first time when it mattered the most. He had full control of the match from there with Cilic hitting 23 unforced errors to Tsitsipas’ 13.
“He made me move a lot,” Tsitsipas said. “It was quite tricky to adjust to that at the beginning, but towards the very end of the first set I stayed calm and I stayed resilient. I had to play deep on the returns and find solutions from the baseline rallies. Obviously, that worked well for me from 6-5.”
Tsitsipas next faces Matteo Berrettini, who beat John Millman 6-4, 6-2. The Italian will have the home-court advantage when fans return on Thursday. Tsitsipas feels right at home in Rome though, and enjoyed the scenery Pietrangeli stadium had to offer.
“[Pietrangeli] itself is very beautiful; it’s one of the best courts on tour,” Tsitsipas said. “I feel like the atmosphere here is great. We’re surrounded by trees in the city and it’s very, very quiet which is important for tennis. And honestly, I can’t wait for the fans to come and fill in the stadium.”
Berrettini continued his great serving form from his final run in Madrid. He faced zero break points, giving him freedom to go for more on return games. He broke the Aussie to start the second set and ran away with the match quickly from there.
Since his debut in 2017, the World No. 9 has improved with each appearance in Rome, reaching the second round in 2018, the third round in 2019, and the quarter-finals in 2020. He will have a tough challenge next in Tsitsipas, who beat him in their only meeting at the 2019 Australian Open.
The Greek government announced it will lift a ban on travel between regions and abolish a system requiring an SMS or a form for people to leave the house on Friday, abandoning most of the lockdown restrictions that still applied in the country, to coincide with the start of the tourism season.
“We are putting the lockdown behind us,” said Akis Skertsos, Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister, during a briefing on the pandemic on Wednesday.
For those who want to travel to the Greek islands (except Evia and Lefkada), by ferry or airplane, they will have to procure a vaccination certificate (14 days after the second dose), or a negative PCR, rapid or self-test, 72 or 24 hours ahead of travel, respectively.
The Greek government announced it will lift a ban on travel between regions on May 14.
Airlines and ferry companies will be responsible for checking that passengers have the required documentation with them before boarding the ferry or plane. The measures will apply to all domestic and foreign travelers over five years of age.
Skertsos said the curfew will be pushed to half past midnight as of May 14, from the current 10 pm.
In retail, stores will resume normal operation, abolishing the click-and-collect and click-in-shop systems, maintaining only social distancing and health safety rules.
Music will still not be allowed in cafes and restaurants in May.
A 20-year-old woman murdered in front of her 11-month-old child during a home robbery in the suburb of Glyka Nera on the outskirts of Athens on Tuesday died of asphyxiation, a medical examiner’s autopsy has determined.
According to the report, the robbers shoved pieces of cloth in the victim’s mouth before pushing their hands against her nose and lips, which caused her to suffocate.
The victim, who was born in Greece but had a British passport, was sleeping with her husband and baby when three men broke into their home before dawn. Her husband, a 33-year-old aviation pilot, was also bound and gagged, but survived.
Authorities have announced a 300,000-euro ($365,000) reward.
