Greece Didn’t Classify Pedophilia as a Disability
The Claim
In Greece, pedophilia is legally classified as a disability.
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Emerging story
In late July 2020, a claim began circulating that “in Greece, pedophilia was recently classed as a disability.” This ostensibly means that pedophiles receive government benefits.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar’s investigation found that the claim is false. In January 2012, the Greek government proposed including behavioral disorders on its disability list. However, the proposal was not accepted. Even if it were accepted, according to the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the inclusion of behavioral disorders would only be for medical purposes; the change would not allow new additions to receive government benefits.
The recent claims are part of the QAnon conspiracy theory, which has tried to label Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson as pedophiles (see our assessment of that claim here). Hanks and Wilson recently became Greek citizens, with dual citizenship there and in the U.S.
Despite the conspiracy theories, pedophilia is illegal in Greece and is not qualified as a disability.
