Dimitris Lignadis (Greek: Δημήτρης Λιγνάδης; born September 25, 1964) is a Greek actor and stage director, who served as the Artistic Director of the

National Theater of Greece The National Theatre of Greece () is based in Athens, Greece. History The first permanent theatre in modern Greece had been the Boukoura Theatre from 1840, but it had difficulty in managing its operation and stood empty for long periods of t ...

from August 2019 until he resigned on February 6, 2021. Lignadis resigned from his position after sexual abuse statements by minors against him became public. Shortly after, he was arrested and charged with

serial rape A serial rapist is someone who commits multiple rapes, whether with multiple victims or a single victim repeatedly over a period of time. Some serial rapists target children. The terms ''sexual predator'', ''repeat rape'' and ''multiple offending ...

but let free due to alleged high connections with government officials.

Early life and education

Dimitris Lignadis was born on 1964 in

Athens, Greece Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

to theater critic and author Tasos Lignadis. The young Lignadis studied at the

University of Athens The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA; el, Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών, ''Ethnikó ke Kapodistriakó Panepistímio Athinón''), usually referred to simply as the Univers ...

and at the

National Theatre of Greece Drama School The National Theatre of Greece Drama School ( GNT Drama School) was founded in 1930, since when it has operated in tandem with the National Theatre of Greece. In its 75-year history a number of its graduates have gone on to become major actors and ...

Career

Dimitris Lignadis as Xenos Kora Karvouni Kostas Kazakos Veakeio 2017

He has acted in and directed many plays. He served as the Artistic Director of the

from August 2019 until he resigned on February 6, 2021.

Sexual abuse allegations and arrest

In February 2021, various sexual abuse allegations against Lignadis became public; some of them by minors. Lignadis resigned from his position on February 6, 2021. Minister of Culture and Sports

Lina Mendoni Lina Mendoni ( el, Λίνα Μενδώνη) is a Greek politician. , she serves as Minister of Culture and Sports in the cabinet of Kyriakos Mitsotakis. She has a PhD in archaeology from the University of Athens The National and Kapodistria ...

called Lignadis a "dangerous person" and that "he deceived the Ministry", a statement met with serious backlash from many artists and the Hellenic Actors Union. Lignadis was eventually arrested and charged with four counts of rape and was placed in pre-trial detention. In July 2022 he was found guilty for two rapes of two -then- minors and was sentenced to serve 12 years in jail. The Court also decided to release him from jail on parole until his appeal hearing takes place. The decision of setting free was taken by a 4-3 majority.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lignadis, Dimitris 1964 births Living people Greek male television actors Greek male stage actors Greek theatre directors National and Kapodistrian University of Athens alumni Male actors from Athens