Courtroom drama over rape allegation

Press, 8 September 1982, Page 22

Courtroom drama over rape allegation

“No Defence." to be screened on One in the Play of the Week slot at 9.35 p.m. on Sunday, is a modern courtroom drama by Chris Kewbank which explores a non-violent case of rape, in which one person’s word against that of another will ultimately determine the outcome. The accused — a Greek Cypriot living in London — is arrested on a rape charge but jumps bail and returns to Cyprus where his father and brother have been killed in a car crash. When he comes back to England five years later with his wife and child he is re-arrested. At his trial he denies rape. The case for the prosecution is that while Germanou. the Greek Cypriot, was driving home from his job as a waiter early one morning he was hailed by a young couple. He claimed to be a mini-cab driver and was told to take the girl home. On the wav to her home he threatened and eventually raped her in the back of his car. He arranged to meet the girl a few nights later, but when he arrived at the rendezvous he was chased and arrested by the police. The case for the defence is that when Germanou stopped the car he believed he was being asked to give the couple a lift but only the girl

got into the car. During the. journey he made advances to > the girl which were recipro-., cated. Eventually they stopped the car in a quiet area and made love. Germanou arranged to meet the girl again and when he did so he was arrested by the police. The defence lawyer argues • against the prejudices of the judge - a well-known puritan — and against the prejudice people may feel abouta foreigner. There is also a lack of any concrete evi-v dence which -could prove either the man’s guilt or the girl's complicity. , Michael Chesden stars asGermanou and Patrick, Troughton appears as Judge-Bannes-Ritchie. The play was produced byh Innes Lloyd and directed by-J Clive Halls.