The claim: Tom Hanks became a Greek citizen because pedophilia is considered a disability there.
A QAnon conspiracy theory circulating on social media falsely claims that Tom Hanks became a Greek citizen because it classifies pedophilia as a disability.
July 28 Facebook post which was shared more than 2,300 times, it read: “While everyone was distracted by the coronavirus, Tom Hanks became a citizen of Greece… a place that recognizes pedophilia as a disability,” with an emoji in the shape of a side eye. That Facebook user, Gigi Kundalini, told USA TODAY that she found out about the Greek citizenship news from a BBC article, but did not comment on the other claim about pedophilia.
The message is part of a larger trend of posts which question Hanks’ new Greek citizenship, alluding to Hanks’ involvement in child sex trafficking.
Some posts include hashtags for QAnon, a far-right conspiracy theory that claims the world is controlled by a small group of pedophile, devil-worshipping elites. Part of the QAnon theory is a “deep state” entity run by politicians, celebrities and business leaders who operate a child sex trafficking ring and work against Trump.
More:Fact Check: Mask Wearing Not Linked to Child Trafficking
QAnon supporters have also alleged that other celebrities are linked to child sex trafficking, such as Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres and the Clintons. USA TODAY also called the accusations false.
When Hanks was first in quarantine in March after contracting the novel coronavirus, some reports claimed he was arrested for child molestation. They were also reported as false.
Did Tom Hanks become a Greek citizen?
Yes, he did it, with his wife Rita Wilson, announced Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotaki. On July 26, Mitsotaki posted a photo on Instagram of himself with Hanks and Wilson holding up Greek passports, saying they “are now proud Greek citizens!” » followed by a Greek flag emoji and a thumbs-up emoji.
Hanks, Wilson and their children received honorary Greek citizenship after helping to draw attention to a July 2018 wildfire near Athens that killed more than 100 people, according to the BBC.
Hanks and Wilson have been visiting Greece for years and own a house on the island of Antiparos, the BBC reports. Wilson also has Greek heritage and Hanks converted to the Greek Orthodox Church. They both expressed their love and admiration for the nation.
In January at the Golden Globes, Hanks mentioned his honorary citizenship.
“Greece is a refuge,” he said. “My family goes to Greece. I’ve been around the world. I have visited the most beautiful places in the world. None of them exceeds Greece.
Is pedophilia listed as a disability in Greece?
Pedophilia is not considered a disability under Greek law.
In 2012, it was proposed in Greece to include behavioral disorders “such as compulsive gamblers, arsonists, pedophiles and fetishists on the list of disabilities”, according to a fact check on Snopes.com. The idea was that these additions would allow for better medical evaluations, but the classifications were not intended to affect disability benefits, according to at the BBC as well as Business Insider.
However, the idea quickly sparked outrage, including from the Greek National Confederation of People with Disabilities, which said in a statement Press release that conditions such as pedophilia, pyromania, voyeurism, ostentation and sadomachism have been removed from the new disability identification table after a huge upheaval in Greek society.
Faced with outcry, the proposal was short-lived and pedophilia was removed from the list a few months later, according to Snopes.
The current of Greece Request for disability assessment, read via Google Translate, does not include pedophilia or other conditions like pyromania and sadomachism. Instead, the application mentions conditions such as deafness, blindness and disorders such as hemolytic anemia.
Is there evidence that Tom Hanks is a pedophile?
There is no evidence that Tom Hanks engaged in pedophilia.
A search for “Tom Hanks” in the California Sex Offender Registry and the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Sex Offender Registry returned no results, according to a previous fact check USA TODAY.
Some of these claims regurgitated by QAnon conspiracy theorists stem from the belief that Hanks, along with many other celebrities and political leaders such as the Clintons, are involved with Jeffrey Epstein in an alleged child sex trafficking ring. A few QAnon theories allege that Hanks was a frequent visitor to Epstein’s island and flew on Epstein’s jet. A look at the flight logs of Epstein’s jet by Reuters contain no evidence of Hanks’ presence on the plane.
Our rating: Partly false
It is true that Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson became Greek citizens. But Greece does not consider pedophilia a disability, and there is no evidence that Tom Hanks is a pedophile. The allegations are a series of conspiracy theories put forward by QAnon supporters. We consider this claim to be PARTLY FALSE, based on our research.
Our fact-checking sources:
- USA TODAY, June 18 Fact Check: Ellen, Oprah and More Are Not Under House Arrest for Child Sex Trafficking
- USA Today, July 22 What is QAnon and where does it come from? What you need to know about the far-right conspiracy theory
- Snopes.com, July 31 Is pedophilia considered a disability in Greece?
- Misbar.com, August 1 Greece has not classified pedophilia as a disability
- BBC.com, March 12, 2012, Greece’s disabled list sparks welfare row
- Business Insider, January 10, 2012, Greeks confused by new law that would classify pedophiles and arsonists as ‘disabled’
- Greek National Confederation of People with Disabilities, Significant positive changes in the new disability assessment committee
- Greece, National Electronic Social Security Agency, Disability Certification Center
- BBC, July 27 Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson officially become Greek citizens
- YouTube, January 5 Tom Hanks, Cecil B. deMille Award winner, full press room speech | THR
- Newsbreak.com, March 18 Fact Check: Tom Hanks and Others NOT Arrested for Pedophilia or Other Crimes in QAnon Conspiracy
- Reuters, Fact-check: Tom Hanks not recorded in Jeffrey Epstein’s flight logs
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