A 14-year-old teen girl was beaten by a group of what authorities believe are mostly peers in the upscale southern Athens district of Glyfada on Saturday night, with several of the juvenile offenders attempting to strip off her clothes as she lay hapless in the street after falling from the blows. Initial media reports, including television accounts, blamed this latest case of severe youth violence on two jealous female classmates.
The incident is yet another case of reported violence among Greece’s teens, in what is quickly becoming a long list of disturbing attacks, despite the Greek state’s efforts to crack down on juvenile delinquency.
This latest case of youth violence was planned in advanced and organized through social media- Instagram’s messaging service to be precise- which is driving some media reports to label the attack as ‘attempted murder’.
About the Attack
The incident took place last Saturday evening. The teen was reportedly in Glyfada with friends on a main commercial thoroughfare when a group of up to 25-30 minors approached her and pulled her away from her friends and into a dark alley, according to reports by To Vima.
The girl was beaten and hit so many times that she fell passed out and fell to the ground, at which point her attackers burned her hair and attempted to strip her to her underwear. Images from the attack were aired in a video by Athens-based MEGA Channel.
Reports by MEGA said the attack was initiated by two female classmates who were jealous of the girl, “because she was beautiful, a top student and responsible for recording pupils’ absences”.
A reporter at MEGA relates that the medial examiner assigned to the case was shocked by the extensive amount of blows to the girl. “The coroner said he couldn’t find a small spot on her body that wasn’t bruised,” reports the journalist.
The incident was filmed by many of the teens that were standing by and observing the attack, and MEGA highlights that none intervened.
The police were notified of the ongoing attack by citizen in the area, and upon arriving at the scene. the police arrested the two teens girls who instigated the attack, says To Vima. The beaten victim and her parents have filed a lawsuit against the two girls.
MEGA reports that the two of the attackers’ parents have been taken into custody and are likely to be charged with neglect of a minor. As for the attackers themselves, a news report at MEGA notes that Greek law is lenient on minors, so sentences are unlikely, but an expert suggests that reform measures should be considered.
The young victim is attending the first year of high school at the nearby suburb of Voula and is considered to be an excellent student.
Her father claims that this is the second time she has been targeted and that Saturday’s attack was organized in advance through a closed group on Instagram.
There was a call which was made online, encouraging people to attack the victim, according to her lawyer, who spoke on MEGA Channel.
The 14-year-old is in a poor psychological state. ‘She fears it will happen again and cannot go near the school while the other girls are there. She is currently receiving psychological support,’ her lawyer revealed.
He also expressed his skepticism regarding the significant gaps in the law, in relation to such incidents. ‘There is still a long way to go. We have taken all the necessary steps to support the prosecution, and the process will take its course,’ he stated.
Panic Button for Minors
Greek authorities have been concerned about the significant increase in violence among Greece’s youth and, as a result, announced that a panic button for minors had been launched.
The details about the panic button were put forth by Greek Minister of Citizen Protection Michalis Chrisochoidis at the Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF) in early September.
According to the announcement, Chrisochoidis stated, “Today, we are launching a new app, a panic button, which will be available to any minors or parents who wish to use it, so that at any moment, children in danger can call for help.”
Through this app, minors in danger will be able to alert authorities via their mobile phones. With geolocation capabilities, the authorities will be able to pinpoint the exact location of the child, enhancing response times and potentially reducing incidents of juvenile violence.
A separate report today by To Vima reveals that the panic button for minors does not seem to have been implemented yet, which may have been helpful for this teen who was beaten, as it is the second time she was the target of violence.
About Glyfada
Glyfada is located southeast of downtown Athens along the Saronic Gulf coast and is a popular place for the capital’s youth, due to numerous eateries, cafes, bars and clubs. However, recently instances of youth violence – and the accessiblity of drugs.
