26/08/2020
Greek justice threw the book at Harry Maguire, and fast.
His international football career was put on hold after a court gave him a suspended jail term, for repeated bodily harm, attempted bribery, violence against public employees and insult after arrest on Mykonos.
He has now appealed, and is now presumed innocent unless the appeal court finds him guilty.
Why was it so quick to get a conviction?
Partly because, in the eyes of Greek justice, he was "caught red-handed".
"In Greek criminal procedure there is a process known as "in flagrante delicto" and it applies to people caught in the act of committing an offence," says Athens lawyer Konstantinos Starantzis. In other words, in this sort of case it's totally normal.
For up to 48 hours from the time of an alleged offence - until midnight the next day - police can arrest someone without a warrant.
Then, after a preliminary investigation, the suspect must be brought before a public prosecutor, who will decide whether to indict or not. If there's an indictment, a trial must take place either the same day or the day after.
