Scalped girl 'violated' by attack

Published on Wednesday 14 July 2004 13:58

A HOLIDAYMAKER whose hair was chopped off by two Scots yobs spoke today of how she felt "violated" by her ordeal.

Georgina Ludden, 20, said she was "horrified" when she woke up to find she had been "scalped" by Craig McMillan, 19, and Liam Owens, 21.

She now has to wear a wig after her blonde hair was cut by the two Glaswegians following a Club 18-30 pub crawl in Faliraki, Rhodes.

Speaking from her family home in Maidstone, Kent, Ms Ludden said: "I was absolutely horrified and devastated. I’ve had long blonde hair since I was young so obviously the shock was terrible.

"It has really affected me, I’ve had to sleep in my parents’ room. I can’t look in the mirror. I just feel violated this happened when I thought I was safe. It’s been a nightmare. I wear a hat all the time, I’ve cut the rest of my hair short so I can wear a wig and I’m trying to arrange extensions."

Ms Ludden hit back at reported comments by McMillan’s father that the incident had been a "prank" and was "funny". "I don’t think it’s funny," she said. "It was malicious. This will be very difficult to get over but I’m strong and I won’t let what they did ruin my life. I asked them why they did it and they said ‘because you were there’."

McMillan and Owens, from the Shettleston area of Glasgow, were charged with illegal forceful entry and physical assault and fined 300 euros (200) each.

The pair were sentenced by a court on Rhodes to six months in jail for the attack on June 26 but were later freed on appeal and flew back to Scotland.

Apprentice mechanic McMillan and water worker Owens were allowed back to the UK on condition they re-appear for the appeals trial later this year.

McMillan’s father Jim, 44, reportedly said his son had been the victim of unfair treatment.

He said: "They had no representation in court and didn’t understand what was happening because there was no translator. I’m furious at the way they have been treated.

"Personally, I blame Club 18-30. People know what these holidays are like - an excuse to get drunk for a week. The girl must have been really out of it as well.

"In hindsight, it is funny. It was just a drunken holiday prank that went badly wrong. Now they are being made an example of."

But Ms Ludden’s father Simon said she had been "badly traumatised" by the incident.

He said: "The lads threw the clippers and hair into the sea to hide the evidence. They only confessed after police took forensic evidence and threatened to confiscate everyone’s passports."

Greek police said the pair shaved her head in a revenge attack after she snubbed their attempt to seduce her on a drunken night out.

Faliraki police commander Lieutenant George Goundoumanis said: "This kind of behaviour from British tourists is disgraceful. We are trying to clean up the image of this resort."

A spokesman for Club 18-30 said: "We have no comment at this time as the incident is subject to ongoing legal proceedings."