Greek holiday sex attack warning

By Tamasin Ford
Newsbeat reporter in Zante

Greece has the highest number of rapes reported by British tourists, according to figures obtained by Newsbeat.

In 2007, British officials dealt with a higher number of sexual assaults per head than anywhere in the world with Brit on Brit rape the biggest problem.

They're worried many go unreported and it could be "the tip of the iceberg".

The Foreign Office says the figures are so high because of big resorts that attract thousands of young people out for the clubs and the cheap booze.

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Eighteen-year-old Helen from north London is out in Zante on the Greek Island of Zakynthos for the first time.

She said: "The drinks are so cheap. You get into the clubs for free and you buy one drink and get three shots free.

"It's great, it doesn't cost hardly anything to go out."

Laganas, like Malia in Crete, Cavos in Corfu and other Greek resorts, is packed with bars and clubs.

It's all about clubbing, getting a good tan and letting yourself go.

Helen's friend Tori is out here too.

She said: "Boys are out here for a laugh, aren't they?

"They love the girls and they're out here for sex."

Helen adds: "But the girls come out here for the sex too, they're just as bad as the boys."

Unreported rapes

The Foreign Office says although the number of rapes reported by British tourists in Greece is down on the year before and the situation is improving.

Jess Prasad is from the Foreign Office.

The girls never remember because they're too drunk. I ask them if they've had sex and they don't remember Dr Renesis from the state hospital in Zante

She said: "You're not going to get a true picture because so many people don't report them. This is only the tip of the iceberg."

The Foreign Office doesn't want to scare people away from Greece and says the figures show a distorted picture of the country.

It says it's mainly the big clubbing resorts where they get the problems.

Helen added: "It's very related to alcohol and the thing to remember is that it's not saying Greece is more dangerous because it's about Brit on Brit.

A widespread anti-rape campaign aimed at British tourists has now started across Greece.

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It began in Cavos last year and was thought to be a success, so was rolled out across all the Greek resorts this summer.

It involves leaflets and posters being handed out in clubs and bars.

They show a picture of a dishevelled and distraught looking girl on the front, with a message saying, Know Your Limits.

Dangerous behaviour

Dr Renesis, from the state hospital in Zante, has seen similar pictures for real.

It's part of his job to examine women who claim they've been raped.

Safety leaflets and posters are being handed out in Greek clubs

He said: "All through the night we work with drunk people and most of them are British.

"Drink kills people, rapes people and destroys the face of England in Greece.

"We don't like rape and we don't like our tourists to be raped."

He puts the problem down to binge drinking, saying 90% of the women he sees are British.

"The girls never remember because they're too drunk," he added.

"I ask them how many boys were involved and they don't remember.

"I ask them if they've had sex and they don't remember. I ask them if they used a condom and they don't remember."

Safe holiday

Tour operators like Club 18-30 and 2wentys have teamed up with the Foreign Office to try to get the health and safety message across to the tourists.

They've launched the Don't Be A Dick Campaign.

Jess Prasad says they don't want to preach to people and tell them what to do, they just want to keep them safe.

She said: "Basically you've got a scenario of Tom, Dick and Harry and every time Dick is the one that gets into trouble.

"So we're basically saying, don't be a Dick."

Many young British tourists go to Zante to drink and have sex

Lou is from Club 18-30 and works out in Laganas where the posters are up in many of the bars and clubs.

She said: "We run the campaign because we want to make sure the guests have an absolutely fantastic holiday but within their limits.

"We want to make sure that they know they've got to be safe and not drink so much that they get into such a state."

Everyone wants to get rid of the negative image clubbing resorts like Zante have.

Even with a street nicknames 'rape alley' Laganas remains a place where people just want to take time out of the UK to go and have fun.

Dave from Birmingham's one of them.

He said: "I think this is the best place ever. It's absolute mayhem man, off the hook.

"The music's been class, everything's been class, loads of nice girls around. You know the score."