The alleged attempted rape of a 19-year-old Syrian refugee man by three Iraqi refugees in the Samos reception and identification centre has provoked a series of reprisals and sparked violent clashes between Syrians and Iraqis on the island.
Five people were stabbed and taken to hospital during the incidents, among them one of the three men accused of the attempted rape.
athensnewsagency writes that everything started on Saturday night, when the alleged rape attempt occurred, and spilled over into violence the following morning in the town of Samos, at which time three people were injured.
The clashes then spread to the migrant reception centre, where another two people were stabbed. In addition to the man suspected of the attempted rape, police are also holding a Syrian national and seeking a third man.
According to local samostimes.gr, a total of 15 people were injured during the clashes on Saturday. The news website notes that clashes among refugees and migrants occur almost at a daily basis.
The specific reception facility on Samos is designed to house 700 people but currently accommodates a total of 2,369 awaiting processing. There are currently 2,592 refugees and migrants on the island awaiting a reply to their application for asylum.
During the last five days, 228 people arrived on Samos coming from Turkey.
I guess with so many people nobody bothers to check if they are armed??