Imposition of community service instead of jail time was handed down on Monday against an 18-year-old by a court in the northern city of Thessaloniki after finding him guilty of participating in the assault of another teen – in yet another instance of juvenile violence captured with a smartphone and then disseminated with other individuals.
Another twist in the ongoing domestic debate over teen violence in the digital age is the fact that the perpetrators forced the victim to admit, in front of the phone’s camera, that he raped an underage girl. The victim strenously denied the shocking allegation made by the perpetrators, saying he was in a relationship with the girl and engaged in consensual contact.
The 18-year-old was arrested, charged with a handful of third degree misdemeanors and eventually convicted. He subsequently accepted the much more lenient community service offer, i.e. 810 hours in total, one hour per day.
The concept of community service was recently enacted in Greece’s penal code, along with stiffened sentences and bail/parole guidelines in a bid to reverse certain egregiously magnanimous legal provisions in the country.
In yet another unusual development, the court judge addressed the defendant in handing down the sentence and stated that: “You have not shown that you understand the gravity of your actions. We’re here to impose sentences, we don’t fix lives. If your life is fixed, that’s up to you. Father, mother, your teacher, have finished. If you don’t do something your life will be wasted.”
In his earlier testimony before the court and before his guilty verdict, the defendant said his actions emanated from a desire to act tough, and that he “learned from his lesson”.
