A 12-year-old student was reportedly lured into a storm drain by a group of 14-year-olds on Monday at a secondary school in the northern Athens suburb of Nea Ionia, in the latest case of bullying in Greece.
The incident took place in the school courtyard during a school-wide class boycotting.
According to reports, a group of highschool freshmen approached the young boy, telling him that there was a cash bill in the storm drain. The boy proceeded to enter the drain to check, after which one of the teens closed the drain cover, trapping him inside.
School staff did eventually notice the situation, with two teachers rushing to free the boy.
The victim’s father expressed his shock at the level of cruelty involved, stating, “They used the five-euro bill as bait, luring him into the drain…they shut the cover, and he was trapped.” He has proceeded to filing a lawsuit against the school.
He added that had a teacher not intervened quickly, the child “might have still been stuck in there.”
The boy’s father also voiced frustration over the lack of communication from the school. “We only found out when our older son came home and mentioned that they ‘put him in a sewer.’ When our youngest son finally returned, he hugged his mother and broke down in tears.” “The administration should be replaced, in my opinion,” he said.
Previous violent episodes have reportedly occurred at the specific school. However, the boy’s father clarified that this is the first instance involving this specific group of students.
Greek authorities have since charged the teachers on duty with endangering a minor, and the police also detained one of the alleged perpetrators, whom the victim identified. Ultimately, all those involved were released by order of a prosecutor. The incident remains under investigation.
The Ministry of Education has since launched an inquiry, pledging accountability if school officials or faculty are found at fault.
