NEWS

Trial to start over brutal 2012 attack on teenage girl in Paros

A court in Syros, the administrative capital of the Cycladic islands, is due on Tuesday to start hearing the case of a Pakistani man aged 22 or 23 who is being accused of brutally assaulting a teenager, then 15, on the nearby island of Paros in the summer of 2012.

Ahmed Waqas reportedly confessed to attacking the unnamed girl after trying to steal her cell phone while she was sitting on a beach during a family holiday on the popular island in July 2012.

Waqas was arrested in Athens a few days later and police have reportedly placed him at the crime scene after identifying traces of his DNA.

The teenager suffered extensive head trauma as a result of the assault and spent several months in a coma. Initial reports had indicated that the 15-year-old had been sexually assaulted but police did not confirm this. She has been undergoing treatment in the United States and was recently flown back to Greece to continue rehabilitation therapy.

Waqas’s trial was scheduled to commence a week earlier, but the girl’s parents requested a delay so that they could be present, Kathimerini understands.

Security has been heightened for the trial as Waqas was almost attacked by a group of ultranationalists when he was remanded in custody and was being transferred from Syros to a prison in Athens.

Subscribe to our Newsletters

Enter your information below to receive our weekly newsletters with the latest insights, opinion pieces and current events straight to your inbox.

By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.