File Credits
Authors:
M. Alevizopoulou
Y. Baboulias
M. Panayiotakis
Y. O. Papadimitriou
A. Zenakos
Photos:
A. Zavallis,
Eurokinissi
Translations:
M. Christou
File 01 ID
When a Child is Abused, Who Do You Call?
In Greece, just when the State should spread a protective net to break the fall of those most vulnerable, the exact opposite happens: after being abandoned, neglected, or abused by those closest to them, children continue to be violated; this time by those who are supposed to protect them.
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In the Name of the Father
Despite wide-spread criticism that it prioritises the rights of parents — in fact, fathers — over those of children, the Greek government recently enacted a major reform of family law, radically changing provisions regarding the custody of children after a divorce. But[...] -
Children Under Lockdown
The Manifold spoke with five child protection experts in a series of interviews, focusing on the impact that Covid-19 lockdowns have on children faced with abuse and neglect. -
Hell as an Institution
The Lechaina Unit for disabled children has been called many names over the years: “hellhole”, “a stain”, “Europe’s hidden shame”. Pictures of children reaching adulthood in cages, their deaths marked by an olive tree planted in memoriam, have spread across the world,[...] -
The Haunting of Leros
An infamous case of abused children in a remote Greek island shows just how the authorities and local societies are failing to provide a safety net. -
“They enter as children and depart as olives”
The Zero Tolerance activist and film director speaks about what he witnessed in the Lechaina Institution, where disabled children have been reaching adulthood in cages, their deaths marked by an olive tree planted in memoriam, and calls for an end to institutionalisation. -
When a Child is Abused, Who Do You Call?
In Greece, just when the State should spread a protective net to break the fall of those most vulnerable, the exact opposite happens: after being abandoned, neglected, or abused by those closest to them, children continue to be violated; this time by[...] -
Plans for National Inaction
Every government since 2009 has laid out its own “National Action Plan” on child protection. What they all share is that almost none of their grand designs were ever implemented. -
The Basketball Sect
The biggest child sexual abuse case in Greece, involving dozens of children abused by their coach over a period of years, highlights the deficiencies of individual authorities, as well as the Greek state’s failure to organise an effective response, even when expert[...] -
Punishing the Victims
For many decades, children in need were seen by Greek authorities mainly as props in the political game, and regarded by the law chiefly as delinquents — actual or potential. Many lingering shortcomings of the child protection system are direct descendants of[...] -
“We do not need networks, we need institutions”
The eminent psychiatrist and Director of the Mental Health and Social Welfare Department of the Institute of Child Health insists that what is most urgent in the Greek child protection system is for it to be reorganised into an autonomous sector. -
“If something is not institutionally enshrined, it is pointless”
The former Supreme Court Prosecutor, who also served for years as a Public Prosecutor for Minors, speaks about her extensive experience in office, the shift from delinquency to victimisation, and her contributions to the child protection system. -
The Prosecutor’s Children
Vulnerable and abandoned children languish in unsuitable hospitals for years in Greece, even when they are not ill. A new foster care system might offer a solution, but it remains incomplete. -
“One child lived at the hospital for thirteen years”
The Head of the Aghia Sofia Children’s Hospital Social Services talks about the children stranded in paediatric hospitals, the training of health experts to deal with abuse, and the heavy toll of austerity on welfare. -
“The greatest means of pressure are the problems themselves”
The former President of the Centre for Social Solidarity led the team that drafted the first Action Plan for Children, in 2008. Over ten years later, most of his proposals have not been implemented — although “progress has been made”. -
“When you first walk into an institution, you are confronted by a multitude of spectres”
The former Children’s Ombudsman, who served in the position from 2003 to 2018, speaks about -
“In recent years the state has given weight to issues of child protection”
The Director of Operations of the National Centre for Social Solidarity (EKKA) speaks about the centre’s role in child protection and her belief that improving the system is possible. -
“Sexual abuse cases are on the rise”
Ms Kolovou is a social worker and coordinator of House of Arsis, a Thessaloniki shelter for mistreated or neglected children and teenagers, as well as children victims of trafficking and exploitation. The shelter accommodates boys and girls aged 5 to 18 years[...] -
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“There is no safe distance in small communities”
As the one-person social services for the remote island of Leros, Popi Emmanouil has experienced first-hand how the lack of a concise child protection system affects the areas of Greece that were never a high priority for the state. -
File 01 ID
An investigation into the failures of the child protection system in Greece.
This File is supported by:
The initial phase of the investigation, July to December 2018, was funded by a grant from the Investigative Journalism for the EU fund. Additional funding was provided by the Fritt Ord Foundation and the International Press Institute.