Two Romanian men, aged 19 and 28, have been arrested in Zakynthos following allegations that they sexually assaulted a 38 year old British woman inside a hotel room in the Laganas area.
The incident reportedly took place in the early hours of Tuesday. The two suspects were subsequently taken before the Zakynthos Prosecutor’s Office as authorities investigate the allegations.
According to local outlet Imerazante, video footage is said to support the woman’s account of what happened. Authorities have described the case as serious, while the investigation remains ongoing.
The identities of the suspects and the woman have not been released.
The case comes amid renewed attention on reports of sexual assaults involving tourists on Zakynthos. Earlier this month, Greek police rejected claims that authorities were failing to investigate a rise in reported rapes involving visitors to the island.
Police said that three rape cases involving tourists had been reported over the previous three months.
However, Michalis Giannakos, president of the POEDIN hospital workers’ union, said medical staff had dealt with a significantly higher number of suspected cases. He claimed hospitals had handled eight cases involving alleged rape over a three week period.
According to Giannakos, police were informed after some women received medical treatment and examinations, but formal complaints were not submitted in those cases and the victims did not identify their alleged attackers.
Greek police responded by stressing that officers investigate every report and seek to protect victims while providing information based on official and confirmed data.
The latest case follows another investigation on Zakynthos involving allegations that a tourism worker sexually assaulted two British women, both aged 18.
The women reportedly contacted police and received medical treatment following the alleged incident. The mother of one of the women subsequently travelled to Greece and confronted the accused man at his workplace, where a confrontation reportedly took place before police intervened.
Authorities continue to investigate both cases. All allegations remain subject to the ongoing judicial process, and the suspects are presumed innocent unless proven guilty by a court.
