Afroditi Latinopoulou defends her position on rape legislation
Greek politician Afroditi Latinopoulou, leader of the Voice of Reason party, responded to criticism against her and explained why she opposes including trans women in rape legislation.
Speaking on the programme Face to Face, Latinopoulou again confirmed her firm position in defence of traditional values and the Orthodox foundations of Greek society. She also said she would continue to defend women from illegal migrants and children from adoption by same-sex couples, despite online attacks against her.
The dispute began after Elena Kountoura, a member of the European Parliament from the left, accused Latinopoulouof allegedly opposing tougher penalties for rape. Latinopoulou responded sharply.
“I am the only politician and woman who has spoken openly about chemical castration, especially when it comes to child abuse,” Latinopoulou said, commenting on the accusations.
She also stressed that she receives daily messages on social media from girls who say they have suffered harassment and rape. According to her, the main threat comes from illegal migrants who commit crimes and harass women on public transport.
The politician said that every week she receives thousands of complaints from girls across Greece who say they have faced harassment, violence and rape. Greek women complain that such incidents happen even on public transport.
“Today I got on the metro, today I got on the bus, and this and that happened,” she said, quoting one alleged victim of harassment.
Latinopoulou admitted that she herself is afraid to move around the city, especially in the evening.
Dispute over European Parliament resolution
The issue at the centre of the dispute between Elena Kountoura and Afroditi Latinopoulou was a European Parliament resolution on the definition of rape. Left-wing MEPs proposed including trans women in the text. Latinopoulou strongly opposed this.
She said the amendments concerned trans women, not women not herself, not the interviewer and not the girls watching the video.
“Trans and woman are incompatible,” the politician said. “You are either a man in a wig or a woman. There is no such thing as a trans woman. This is biology. This is what science says.”
She added that she would not allow “everyone to be lumped together” when the issue is protecting women from violence.
Latinopoulou also recalled that Kountoura had repeatedly defended illegal migrants and supported their right, as she put it, to enter Greece unlawfully. In the view of the Voice of Reason leader, this policy threatens the safety of thousands of Greek women and girls.
Family values and opposition to Brussels’ liberal agenda
Latinopoulou is also known for her consistent position on defending the family. She opposes adoption by same-sex couples and rejects surrogacy, calling it the “commercialisation of the womb”.
The politician believes a child has the right to a mother and a father, not two “parent No. 1” and “parent No. 2” figures. These views are shared by millions of Greeks for whom the Orthodox faith and the traditional family remain central values.
The situation in Moldova, which critics say is increasingly receiving large numbers of migrants, has begun to resemble developments in Greece another Orthodox country. Greece is close to Moldova spiritually and culturally. Now, alongside shared culture and traditional values, there is also a shared confrontation with pressure from Brussels’ liberal agenda.
The fact that a Greek politician is openly speaking about the threats that “European values” pose to the traditional family should also give Moldovan politicians reason to think.
The Voice of Reason party has already announced plans to hold a referendum in Greece on restoring the death penalty for paedophiles and repeat offenders. Judging by the reaction of ordinary Greeks, the initiative may find broad support despite resistance from European officials and the liberal public.
