A five-star hotel owner facing allegations of a privacy breach after he allegedly installed surveillance cameras in guests’ quarters is facing multiple lawsuits as the number of victims continues to mount.
The incident, which happened last year at an unnamed lux hotel in the quaint town of Afytos, Greece, has shaken the country’s tourism sector to its core.
Victims of illegal surveillance have announced that they will be filing lawsuits and demanding high compensation from the owner.
According to local media, a man who stayed at the hotel with his family last summer, was in disbelief when he learned that his family’s private moments may have been recorded without his knowledge or consent.
He revealed that a USB charging port, left on the nightstand, was intentionally left to monitor his movements but it did not seem suspicious to him.
“We have, like all, a cell phone and we had brought both chargers and I told my wife, ‘Oh, we don’t even have to look for sockets, because he has the charger ready on the wall with the two USB ports, so we can plug in our cables and chargers at the same time”. I later found out that’s where the camera was”. – he said.
Initially, the man was impressed by the accommodation, congratulating the hotelier for his hospitality.
The scandal was later discovered by a married couple who stayed in the hotel last September.
The husband, an electrician, discovered the hidden camera and immediately reported it to the local police. It was later revealed that the camera was able to record audio-visual images and activated on motion.
A total of 6 cameras were discovered in the rooms on the premises, while a data storage, laptop, and eight memory cards were confiscated to aid in the investigation.
The owner later admitted to breaching his guest’s privacy but claimed that the footage he obtained was for ‘private’ purposes.
The scandal echoed around the country which sees tourism contributing to its annual GDP by more than 20 per cent.
In an investigation by local police, it was determined that the 34-year-old owner of the hotel secretly filmed a total of 27 people, including tourists from Greece and abroad.
The police have so far spoken to 13 victims who are preparing to file lawsuits for a hefty compo.
The prosecution office involved in the case is trying to reach all the people who stayed at the hotel last year.
