An urgent investigation has been initiated by a prosecutor from Greece’s Supreme Court regarding the reported beating and sexual assault of a 16-year-old boy from Egypt at a migrant camp situated near Athens.
Authorities have detained four other Egyptian males, aged 16, 17, 18, and 21, in connection with the alleged incident at the state-operated refugee facility in Malakasa, located to the west of the Greek capital.
The detainees are facing serious charges, including sexual assault and infliction of serious bodily injury, according to police reports.
Greek Migration Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos condemned the event as “deeply abhorrent.” His deputy, Sofia Voultepsi, has also announced a probe into the security protocols in place for the area of the camp designated for unaccompanied minors.
Voultepsi noted a rising trend in the number of unaccompanied minors from Egypt arriving in Greece, attributing this increase to the activities of criminal networks operating out of neighboring Libya.
According to Greek laws, unaccompanied minors who arrive illegally are not at risk of being deported.
“Of the total 2,588 unaccompanied minors currently registered in the country, 1,341, which is more than half, are from Egypt,” Voultepsi informed a private television network, Skai.
She explained, “These children are sourced from impoverished areas in Egypt. Criminal organizations transport them to Tobruk in Libya. Based on testimonies we have received, many of these minors are subjected to beatings and mistreatment in camps there, often to involve them in criminal enterprises.”
