Ex-swimming official remanded for sexual abuse of two girls

A 74-year-old man has been remanded in custody on charges that he raped two underage girls while serving in an official capacity on an Athens swimming team.

According to a report on Tuesday, the unnamed suspect was taken into custody on Saturday after the two athletes reported him to the Attica police’s special department for crimes against children. They said the suspect repeatedly abused them sexually from 2013 to 2015 and had also harassed other athletes on the team.

In their testimony to investigators, the girls said the man would often pick them up from their homes ostensibly to help them get to swimming practice, but would take them to his home beforehand, where he would abuse them sexually and make them watch pornographic films.

The girls said they were encouraged to come forward thanks to the revelations made earlier this year by Olympic sailing medalist Sofia Bekatorou.