Editorial: Catharsis

The news of the rape of a 24-year-old woman in Thessaloniki has for days preoccupied the media.

The interest in the case and the horror it stirred in public opinion are understandable.

It has been one year since the first charge of a woman to authorities that she had been sexually abused and the emergence of the #ΜeΤoo movement in Greece.

Yet, as the experience of the last year has demonstrated, other events tend to overshadow such cases, events that are caused by the way in which such a serious and sensitive issue is covered by the press, or by the way it is discussed in public.

It is crucial that we not lose track of the essence of what happened in Suite 602 due to all the din that has resulted. It is exceptionally critical because that is the only way one can achieve the desired catharsis.

That catharsis is the necessary condition in order to encourage other women to step up and make their abuse known to authorities, in order to complete the shift in the mentality of the public.

The ramifications of what happened are much broader than this very important case itself, and everyone must keep this in mind.

This young woman heard the message of other women that preceded her and broke her silence.

The rest of us have a duty to continue to pay close attention to developments in the case.