Child abuse in Greece reaches shocking levels during the pandemic (Helplines)

Child abuse in Greece has reached unrepresented levels during the pandemic and the sexual abuse of girls has doubled when compared to the previous years, data of the Forensic Department of Thessaloniki has shown. Media reports about the sexual abuse of children pop up now almost on a daily basis and are followed by perpetrators’ arrests in the overwhelming majority. The society is alerted non the less due to the pedophilia scandal where a “good family man” was raping and forcing to prostitution a 12-year-old girl.

Three cases of child abuse have been reported on a single day, Wendesday, October 19:

A local prosecutor published the picture and the name of a 28-year-old local football player who was found to have  been sexually abusing a 4-year-old boy in Agrinio, western Greece, and thus in the house where his mother was working a babysitter. On the same day, this time in Piraeus, a 54-year-old father  was arrested for the sexual abuse of his own child. He was raping his 14-year-old daughter for the last three years. In Katerini, northern Greece, police arrested a 30-year-old man for the confirmed abused of a n 11-year-old girl.

Reporting child abuse to authorities has been always a taboo in the country out of fear of the social stigma. But now, things seem to have changed, nevertheless, the #MeToo Movement, parents are often on alert and do not hesitate to seek help for their abused child and complaint to authorities accordingly.

Shocking data: child abuse during the pandemic

Incidents of physical and sexual abuse of children increased during the pandemic in Greece, with sexual abuse of girls almost doubling from 2020 to 2022, according to the Forensic Service of Thessaloniki.

According to the official data, in the years:

• 2004-2008, a total 56 incidents involving sexual abuse and 20 involving physical abuse were examined, while from
• 2020-2022 October a total of 72 children with given physical injuries and 60 underage boys and 88 underage girls were examined for sexual abuse. Of the numbers of children examined, a positive result for sexual abuse was obtained in 60%, while in 40% the result was negative.

At a webinar organized by the Medical Society of Thessaloniki, Wednesday October 19, specialist scientists try to shed light on the most important forms of child abuse: emotional, physical and sexual.

“Incidents of physical and sexual abuse of children have soared during the pandemic. The problem is much more extensive than what reaches and is recorded in the services, due to the fact that the services are not decentralized, there is no proper training of pediatricians to recognize the problem and there is no proper place where everything can be carried out as required for a complete check so that the abused child will not suffer additionally,” says the head of the Forensic Service of Thessaloniki, medical examiner Eleni Zagelidou, one of the speakers of the webinar.

According to Zagelidou, sexual abuse of girls almost doubled from 2020 to 2022. The Forensic Service of Thessaloniki covers a population of approximately 1,200,000 citizens and examines children following the order of pre-investigative and investigative authorities.

“Children who are most at risk of suffering some form of abuse are those with special needs, intellectual disability, neurological disorder, chronic illnesses and homosexual identification. Also at risk are children who live with parents or caregivers who abuse alcohol or drugs, have a mental or neurological disorder, or are involved in criminal activities,” says pediatrician-nephrologist Stella Stampoulis.

“There is a fear of telling the truth,” stresses child psychiatrist – psychotherapist, director of the Child Psychiatry Department of Hippocrates Vaios Dafoulis, Presenting similar data, he noted that from 2019 to September 2022, a total of 117 cases of alleged abuse – mainly sexual, but also physical and emotional abuse-neglect of minors – were investigated and evaluated.

“In the years 2021-2022, an increasing trend was observed. Minors were usually treated at outpatient clinics, while 7-10% were hospitalized. During the same time period, 65%-75% of sexual abuse complaints involved children aged 3-7, with 92% of the perpetrators coming from the immediate family,” Dafoulis noted.”

According to Dafoulis, “the fear of telling the truth, the fear of interpersonal contacts and relationships with an adult, shame, concern for the consequences of their actions, depression, the psychosomatic problems, nightmares, introversion, poor school performance and reduced self-confidence”.

The diagnosis of abuse is certain when injuries are present, with multiple locations at various stages of healing, or when suspicious signs are present. “The most common injuries are bruises, bites, burns, fractures, abdominal trauma and traumatic brain injury,” explains pediatric surgeon Vassilios Lambropoulos.

“When abuse is detected, it is immediately reported to the authorities,” he added.

“Children who are most at risk of suffering some form of abuse are those with special needs, intellectual disability, neurological disorder, chronic illnesses and homosexual identification. Also at risk are children who live with parents or caregivers who abuse alcohol or drugs, have a mental or neurological disorder, or are involved in criminal activities,” says pediatrician-nephrologist Stella Stampoulis.

The president of the Medical Society of Thessaloniki, professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the AUTH, Apostolos Athanasiadis, notes that “the crimes committed against children and minors are mostly hidden and therefore are characterized as hidden crimes”.

Where to turn to report child abuse in Greece:

– National Telephone Line for Children 1056 of the Children’s Smile Association, 24/7, free of charge.

– National Child Protection Line 1107 of the National Center for Social Solidarity, 24/7.

– “Together for the Child” 11525.

The hotlines accept verbal and anonymous reports.