Mixed Jury Court of Heraklion sentenced a 49-year-old man to 12 years imprisonment in the case of sexual abuse of his minor nephew.
According to Pronewsthe court also ruled that the appeal would not have a suspensive effect, so the convicted person must return to prison.
The case became known in May 2025when a then 31-year-old man from Heraklion contacted law enforcement agencies and reported that as a child and teenager he had been sexually abused by his aunt’s husband.
According to his statement, the violence began in 2003when he was 9 years old, and continued until 2011shortly before he turned 17 years old.
The victim needed about 14 years old after the last episode to decide to contact Heraklion Security Sub-Directorate and tell in detail about the experience.
Sentence without reprieve
Following the statement, an investigation began which led to the pre-trial detention of the 49-year-old accused. The man was facing trial on serious charges related to the sexual abuse of a minor.
A year later the case was reviewed Mixed jury of Heraklion. The court found the man guilty and sentenced him to 12 years imprisonment.
A key detail of the decision is that the appeal did not receive a suspensive effect. This means that the convicted person will not be able to remain free until the appeal is resolved and must return to prison.
After the verdict was announced, the victim, now 32 years old, expressed relief and a sense of justice being served, according to Greek media reports.
Consequences for years
According to the victim, his experiences in childhood and adolescence affected his mental and physical state for many years. Such cases rarely end at the moment the crime is committed: the consequences of violence can accompany a person for decades.
That is why late contacting the police does not make the crime less serious. In cases of child sexual abuse, silence is often associated with fear, shame, environmental pressure and trauma, rather than with the absence of pain or memory.
Story from Heraklion again shows how important it is for victims to be able to speak, even years later. The justice system in such cases must take into account not only formal deadlines and procedures, but also the reality of the trauma with which a person may live for most of his life.
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