It was the rape scandal that rocked Sydney’s elite private school society – but now it has taken an EVEN darker twist

A businessman found guilty of raping a female acquaintance on a Greek holiday organised by families linked to a top Sydney private school is living in Australia while appealing his conviction.

Nicholas ‘Nic’ Stavropoulos is believed to be living freely in Point Piper in Sydney’s well-heeled east after being found guilty in May by a Greek court in the city of Naxos of raping a woman in the bathroom at a Mykonos nightclub in 2016. 

The attack took place during a holiday organised by families associated with elite eastern suburbs private school Kambala Girls. 

The scandal has since divided Sydney’s high society and sent shockwaves through the tight-knit community.

Stavropoulos, 50, who pleaded not guilty, was sentenced to six years’ jail after a panel of three judges and a jury of four found him guilty of rape. 

He immediately launched an appeal and remains on bail in Australia until a full retrial takes place in Greece.

NSW Police are aware of his conviction and have moved to apply for a court-ordered apprehended violence order (AVO) to protect the victim, according to The Australian.

A civil case in the NSW District Court brought by the woman, seeking damages for mental health treatment and legal costs, is also set to resume on October 16 after being paused since 2022.

The conviction is the latest chapter in a dramatic fall from grace for Stavropoulos, who was once hailed as a rising star of the travel industry.

In 2002, he co-founded Excite Holidays, which grew into a billion-dollar wholesaler before its sudden collapse in January 2020 left furious agents and suppliers out of pocket to the tune of more than $35 million. 

Staff were reportedly instructed to switch off their phones over Christmas to avoid angry calls, even as bookings continued to be taken – despite hotels and airlines not being paid.

At the time, administrators KPMG told unsecured creditors their chances of a return were ‘extremely unlikely.’ Stavropoulos and fellow director George Papaioannou expressed ‘deep regret’ for the collapse.

But less than three years later, Stavropoulos was again in the spotlight – this time for his lavish personal spending. 

In August 2023, he threw a masked ball at the State Library of NSW for his then-wife Litsa’s 50th birthday. 

The black-tie celebration, attended by Sydney’s eastern suburbs elite, reportedly cost more than $100,000.

The marriage ended in February this year, sparking another scandal that has since consumed the city’s social set. 

The former couple sold their Vaucluse home in May for $10,500,000.

Stavropoulos is now dating Litsa’s former best friend, Pembe Bekir – a relationship that insiders describe as ‘seismic,’ shattering friendships and blindsiding his ex-wife.

The saga echoes the 2021 high-society scandal involving investment banker Charlie Aitken, who began a relationship with Hollie Nasser, the close friend of his ex-wife Ellie, following their split.

In 2022, Litsa had shared a photograph of herself with Pembe on social media, gushing: ‘She’s the YANG to my YIN. Love you a million times to the moon and back @pembebekir.’ 

But in recent months, she has posted cryptic memes hinting at betrayal, including one that read: ‘When people show you who they are, believe them’.

Friends say Sydney’s once tightly-knit eastern suburbs set is now fractured, with many rallying around Litsa, who remains a popular figure in the community.

The AVO matter will be mentioned at Waverley Local Court on Thursday.